It is true that water has a taste and a smell and that its quality can affect how you experience food. Soft water, for instance, allows certain flavours to stand out more clearly while sparkling water fills you up faster

I walked into Pullman & Mercure Hotel and settled into a chair. The menu arrived, printed on thick paper with elegant lettering.

Before my course arrived, the waiter leaned in with a question that always catches me off guard. “Still or sparkling water?” For someone used to drinking distilled water at home, the question felt unnecessary. Water is water, right? That simple question always made me wonder why sparkling water is such a big part of fine dining and why it seems to belong in luxury restaurants around the world.

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My search for answers led me to Executive Chef Rami Saloum at the hotel. He sat quietly at a table with a small plate of fresh fruit in front of him. Beside the plate was a glass of sparkling water with a slice of lemon floating inside.

“What makes sparkling water so special?” I asked. Chef Saloum pointed to the glass.

“Water has a taste and smell, and normally, that is reflected in your choice of food.”

The restaurant offers both still and sparkling water, but when I asked which one he preferred, his answer came quickly. “I prefer still water at room temperature,” he said. “It has the taste of the water. It is much better.”

Bottled water — Bottles of still and sparkling water displayed on a dining table at Pullman & Mercure Hotel.

Photo credit: Michael Ochieng' | Nation Media Group

Chef Saloum explained that the quality of water can affect how people experience food. Soft water, he said, allows certain flavours to stand out more clearly.

“If I am eating something salty and I take soft water, I will really enjoy that saltiness. But if the water is hard, I will not really enjoy it.”

He explained that sparkling water can even change how food cooks.

“The dough from outside becomes more puffed, crispy, and airy,” he said while describing fish and chips batter made with sparkling water. “But if you use normal water, it becomes dense, heavy, and not that crispy.”

The carbonation creates tiny air pockets inside the batter. Those pockets make the food lighter and crispier when cooked. “The more air holes inside, when you eat it, you will enjoy it more,” he explained.

When it comes to pairing water with food, Chef Saloum has very clear ideas.

“If you are eating fish, it always has that aftertaste, even a person around you can smell it.”

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His solution is simple.

“Sparkling water, ice cold, with a slice of lemon and a little bit of salt on the edge of the glass, will make a big difference. You will not even remember that you ate fish.”

He also cautioned against drinking very cold water with fatty or fried foods.

“Cold water or any cold liquid makes the fat start getting harder in your tummy,” he said.

A cold glass of water with a meal is more the norm than it is the exception… but if you like your post-meal drink ice-cold, maybe you should reconsider.

Photo credit: File | Nation

His advice is to match the temperature of the water to the meal. Lighter dishes can work with colder drinks, while richer foods often pair better with water that is less chilled. The conversation slowly turned to digestion.

“When you are taking sparkling water, it helps to fill your tummy faster and sends that message faster to the brain: enough, close it, no more food,” he said.

He explained that the stomach usually takes time to tell the brain it is full. The carbonation in sparkling water can make people feel satisfied sooner, helping them eat more slowly.

That idea points to another reason sparkling water appears so often in fine dining. Luxury dining is not just about eating. It is about slowing down. It is about paying attention to every bite, every flavour, and every detail on the table.

Sparkling water naturally fits into that experience. It encourages people to sip rather than gulp. It cleanses the palate between courses and helps guests appreciate the food more carefully.

“It adds a sense of occasion. The elegant bottle, the rising bubbles, the sound of the pour, and the fresh slice of lemon all make the experience feel special. It turns something as ordinary as water into part of the dining ritual.” Said Chef Saloum.

As our conversation came to an end, Chef Saloum shared one final thought.

“Sparkling water helps you to slow down your food. It is a little more expensive than normal water. A bottle costs between Sh300 to Sh500 or more. Most of the time when you are eating, you crave soda or juice. When you take something like this, you stop that craving. You already have the gassy feeling. All your senses feel satisfied.”

According to Japheth Winstone, a nutritionist at Placid Nutrition Centre, sparkling water lowers the natural pH of water because carbon dioxide combines with water to form carbonic acid. This slight acidity is what makes sparkling water useful for people with certain digestive issues.

“What carbon does is it brings the water closer to acidity,” he said. “That will work well with people who have indigestion issues and with people who have inflammatory bowel syndrome.”

The reason comes down to something called peristalsis, which is the natural squeezing movement of the stomach lining that pushes food along and mixes it with digestive enzymes.

“Because of the carbon content of the sparkling water, it stimulates the stomach wall,” Winstone said. “It helps improve the movement of the stomach and hence helps with indigestion.”

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However, not everyone benefits from that acidity.

“People who have acid issues, ulcers, or kidney stones need to stay away from carbonated water,” he warned.

The calcium and sodium content in sparkling water can make kidney stones worse, and the acidic nature of carbonated water can also slowly wear down tooth enamel over time. His practical tip was simple.

“You can even use a straw instead of drinking directly from the glass, to protect your teeth.”

He also raised an unexpected point about sparkling water and eating. Because carbonation makes digestion feel easier and more comfortable, some diners may actually end up eating more.

“If you are feeling comfortable, you end up eating more and consuming more,” he said.

On the question of which water he would genuinely recommend for everyday use, Winstone gave an answer that surprised no one and comforted everyone.

“The best water I will recommend is tap water because it is as natural as it is, treated, and safe.”

He did acknowledge the real concerns around ageing infrastructure and contamination risks in urban settings, which is why purified or distilled water remains the most practical everyday option for most households.

He also cautioned about recycled refill bottles.

“The more you recycle the bottle, it develops bacteria inside,” he said. “Every time before you refill, you need to wash it. But after three months of continuous use, you need to throw it away.”

As for sparkling water, he saw it as a reasonable occasional choice rather than a daily habit. “If you can afford it, well and good, but at the end of the day, distilled or purified water is the convenient and affordable option.”

moochieng@ke.nationmedia.com

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