What your choice of water says about you
Though most Britons are ignorant about what constitutes quality in water, and are unable to decode the labels on bottled waters, water quality seems to have become a national obsession.
Bottled water is a booming business, worth ￡25bn globally. It has long been important in mainland Europe, where less reliable mains water supplies and the presence of volcanic sources have created a steady demand for mineral waters, as well as spring waters.
The French, Italians, Spaniards, Germans and others, who historically have far greater knowledge and understanding of wines than Britons do, recognise and distinguish between the tastes and mouth-feel of spring and mineral waters from different sources. They may choose, or a sommelier may suggest, specific waters to partner certain dishes. And the timeless charm of "taking the waters" (sipping, bathing or both) in a spa has never been fully lost.
As a sweeping generalisation, it seems to me that Americans and Canadians are motivated by fear of pollution; they buy bottled water for what it does not contain. Mainland Europeans choose mineral waters according to their mineral content. But in Britain, it is the bottle that counts, the contents are of secondary importance.
Maybe I am being a bit unkind about my compatriots. Other nations are not immune to the snob appeal of designer water. At a magnificent banquet I attended in Parma in 1996, where entire wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and ranks of Parma hams were the chief glories for me, what seemed to impress the Italians most was Ty Nant, or rather the miniature club-shaped Bristol-blue bottles in which this Welsh water was delivered. So stylish, they cooed, and queued to take them home to use as bedside carafes. It struck me as a nice riposte to the 1950s habit of lighting London's trattorie with candles stuck in old Chianti flasks.
What is sad about the current faddish obsession with bottled water is the blind belief that it must be better than tap water. This is only true in countries where sanitation is dubious. It irritates me when the only bottled water I can find at an English railway station is either a screw-top bottle that claims to contain "a hint of lemon" (a disagreeable, diluted boiled-sweet experience compared to cold tap water with a slice of lemon in it), or a bottle of plain water with a teat-style top, the sort invented to enable joggers and cyclists to sip on the move without slurping. This last is presumably preferred by stockists because it carries a premium price tag, and is often bought by non-exercisers to fuel their healthy illusions.
It is not just the price of bottled water that offends me - though the mark-up in some restaurants is outrageous. I think I get all the minerals I need from a well-balanced diet. And I know I can eliminate most of the limescale deposits and an overdose of chlorine in my tap water by filtering the mains supply at home. What really makes bottled water a bit difficult to swallow is thinking of all the energy expended on getting those heavyweight and frankly unnecessary crates of the stuff from source (often overseas) to my kitchen, when I know that more than one billion people in the world do not have reliable access to safe drinking water.
Of course I sometimes drink commercially bottled water. When I do, I want something different from the everyday tap experience, so I nearly always choose water with a champagne-like fizz rather than flat. Have you noticed that both waiting staff and customers in Britain almost always say "sparkling" and "still" rather than naming names? On the continent people looking for particular qualities specify exactly which brand they want, while the majority request water from the nearest source by name, local waters being cheaper.
I am no better than most English people at appreciating the nuances between many brands. It was only when I took part in a blind-tasting a decade or so ago that I began to notice how varied water could be. Some were stony hard, some were soft in the mouth, almost silky. Some had a quasi-medicinal tang, some were virtually tasteless. Only one of our group correctly identified the joker in the pack (London tap), but, interestingly, several voted it the best in the still water category.
While Britain and Germany favour sparkling water, still waters sell best in the rest of Europe. Perrier was the first to catch British imaginations with its stylish advertisements (remember Eau La! La! and H2Eau?), its naturally vigorous bubbles and low mineral taste. It remains a favourite but some people prefer the fizzing German contender, Apollinaris, for a celebratory aperitif. Ferrarelle and Badoit are more gently gaseous, so more companionable with food. Sodium and bicarbonate rich Vichy has a reputation for easing the digestion. San Pellegrino boasts a strong minerally tang. Font Vela (Spanish) and Panna are reckoned ideal for the elderly and for infants. Malvern, from the Worcestershire spa, seems exceptionally mild mannered. Contrexeville, high in sulphates, calcium and magnesium, is the opposite. Prized for intestinal disorders and sipped eagerly by French slimmers, it strikes me as a medicine, not a beverage.
Does the water you use make a difference to cooking? Michelangelo reputedly never cooked except with Fiuggi water, but that may have been because of its fame for breaking down kidney stones, from which he suffered badly. I always thought it rather fanciful salesmanship when chefs from Vichy insisted that a vegetable dish made with carrots, butter, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley and water would not taste right unless made with bottled Vichy water - I note that Larousse Gastronomique suggests substituting tap water plus a pinch of bicarbonate of soda if Vichy is not readily available. On the other hand, I believe bakers and pasta-makers who swear that the water they use is crucial to their trades. Given that pasta and bread comprise only flour, water, salt (and yeast for most breads), it seems reasonable to suppose that water quality matters a lot in their recipes, at least to educated and sensitive palates.
The case in tea and coffee is clear. Heavily chlorinated water ruins a delicate brew. Very hard water, or a jug filter coming to the end of its run, furs up the kettle, creates scum and leaves gritty limescale particles in the liquid. Taylors of Harrogate please customers by offering their bestselling Yorkshire tea in two versions, one of them specially blended for use in hard water areas. Some Frenchmen claim that Volvic's soft spring water makes the coffeeiest coffee, and they are not alone in using bottled water to make their breakfast cuppa.
Water may not be as exciting as intoxicating brews but it can be the most welcome and satisfying drink. I remember being greeted in nearly every Greek mountain village I visited half a century ago with a spoonful of jam (to replenish lost energy), a thimble of pick-me-up coffee and, proudest offering of all, a glass of cold water that the villagers truly believed was purer, clearer and sweeter than could be found elsewhere.
I hope this hospitable custom persists. And I look forward to the day when restaurateurs and dinner hostesses everywhere copy the civilised American habit of placing a jug of fresh cold tap water on the table when giving customers the menu to peruse. Good food is important but water is the essence of life.
喝水的学问
尽
管大多数英国人都不清楚是什么决定了水的质量，也无法解读瓶装水标签上的含义，但水质似乎已成为一个全国上下共同关心的问题。
瓶装水为什么受欢迎？
瓶装水是一项疾速发展的业务，全球产值高达250亿英镑。长久以来它在欧洲大陆一直占有重要地位，因为欧洲的自来水供应不那么可靠。此外还有火山水源，这造成了对矿泉水和山泉水的稳定需求。
法国人、意大利人、西班牙人、德国人和其他欧洲人，一直以来对水的认识和理解要远胜于英国人，他们能识别和分辨来自不同水源的山泉和矿泉水的味道和口感。他们可能选择（或者斟酒侍者可能会建议），用特定的水来搭配特定的菜肴。在温泉胜地“选水”（品尝、沐浴或两者兼用）的永恒魅力，从未完全消失。
总体概括起来，在我看来，美国人和加拿大人的出发点是担心污染；他们购买瓶装水，是因为它不含污染物质。欧洲大陆的人，则根据矿物质成分来选择矿泉水。但在英国，瓶子排在第一位，水倒是次要的。
或许我对自己的同胞有点不太厚道。其它国家的人也无法避免受到包装出自设计师之手的矿泉水的那种满足虚荣心的吸引力。1996年，我在意大利帕尔马出席过一次盛大的宴会，整转盘的帕玛森乳酪(Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese)和一排排的帕尔马火腿，最令我赞叹，但似乎意大利人印象最深的是Ty Nant，更确切的说，是微型棒状布里斯托尔蓝色瓶子，其中装着威尔士矿泉水。他们低声说，多酷啊，而且还排队把它们拿回家，当作床边的饮水瓶。这让我想起20世纪50年代的一个习惯：伦敦的“普及饭店”(trattorie)将蜡烛插在古老的意大利基安蒂红酒瓶子里，这倒是一种不错的礼尚往来。
目前瓶装水风靡的悲哀之处在于，人们盲目地相信它肯定比自来水好。这种观点，只有在那些无法保证卫生条件的国家才是正确的。有件事令我十分恼怒：在英国的一个火车站，我所能找到的瓶装水，要么是一种声称含有“微量柠檬”的螺旋口瓶装水（与加入一片柠檬的冰水相比，这就像是一种煮过并稀释过的甜水，很难喝），要么就是装着普通水的奶嘴盖瓶装水，发明这种瓶子是为了让跑步者和骑车人在运动中无法大口喝水的情况下便于吸吮。我估计零售商青睐后一种产品，因为它的价格更高，而且经常有不运动的人来买，以激发自己对于健康的幻想。
让我不快的并不只是瓶装水的价格――虽然某些餐厅的标价简直令人难以忍受。我认为，从均衡饮食中，我能获得身体所需的所有矿物质。而且我知道，通过对家里的自来水进行过滤，我可以除去大部分石灰沉淀物和过量的氯。真正让瓶装水有些难以下咽的是，当我得知全世界有10亿多人无法稳定获得安全的饮用水时，我们却费力地将那些沉甸甸、而且坦白地讲根本不必要的箱子，从产地（通常是海边）运到我们家厨房。
当然，我有时候也喝买来的瓶装水。当我这么做的时候，我希望它与日常的自来水有所不同，因此，我几乎总是会选择像香槟一样冒泡的水，而不是完全没有气泡的水。你注意过吗？在英国，无论是服务生还是顾客，几乎总是将“冒泡的”和“不冒泡的”挂在嘴边，而不是称呼水的名字。而在欧洲大陆，寻找特定品质的水的人们，会具体指明他们想要的品牌，而多数人点名要水源地最近的水，因为本地的水更便宜。
不同品牌水的味觉差异
在鉴别多种品牌之间的细微差别方面，我和大多数英国人差不多。只是在大约10年前，我参加一次盲品活动之后，才开始注意到水与水之间的差异有多大。有些水质感僵硬，有些入口柔软，几乎如丝般润滑。有些水有类似药物的味道，有些则完全没有味道。我们组中，只有一个人准确地辨认出了“王牌”（伦敦自来水），但有趣的是，有几个人把它选为最佳不冒泡的水。
虽然英国和德国钟爱冒泡矿泉水，但不冒泡的水却在欧洲其它地区卖得最好。巴黎水(Perrier)是首个抓住英国人想象力的品牌，它凭借时髦的广告（还记得它的广告词吗？“Eau La! La! And H2Eau”），自然丰富的泡沫和淡淡的矿物味道，做到了这一点。如今，它仍是人们最喜爱的品牌之一，但有些人更喜欢与之竞争的德国品牌：能发出嘶嘶声的Apollinaris矿泉水，作为庆祝用的开胃酒。Ferrarelle和Badoit矿泉水冒泡较少，因此更适宜和食物搭配饮用。富含钠和重碳酸盐的维希(Vichy)牌矿泉水，有帮助消化的美誉。圣培露(San Pellegrino)矿泉水自诩有浓郁的矿物气味。Font Vela（西班牙）和Panna矿泉水被认为是老年人和婴儿的理想饮品。来自英国伍斯特郡温泉胜地的Malvern矿泉水，似乎品性尤为温和。硫酸盐、钙和镁含量较高的Contrexeville矿泉水则恰恰相反。由于有助于缓解消化道疾病，它受到法国减肥者的追捧，但对我而言，它是一种药物，而不是饮品。
用不同的水烹调会产生不同的效果吗？据说米开朗基罗(Michelangelo)做饭只用Fiuggi牌矿泉水，但这可能是因为它有溶解肾结石的美誉――他患有严重的肾结石。我总觉得这是一种凭空编造出来的推销手法――来自维希的厨师坚称，一道用胡萝卜、黄油、糖、盐、辣椒、欧芹和水烹制的素菜，只有用维希牌瓶装水烹调，才是那个味儿――我注意到法国美食百科全书(Larousse Gastronomique)建议，如果找不到维希牌瓶装水的话，可用自来水加一撮小苏打来代替。但另一方面，我相信那些面包师和意大利面点师的话，他们信誓旦旦地说，烹调用的水至关重要。鉴于面点和面包的成分仅包含面粉、水、盐等（大多数面包还要用发酵粉），认为水质在配方中的确很重要，似乎是合理的――至少对于训练有素、味觉敏感的人如此。
茶和咖啡的例子就很明显。含氯量高的水会破坏炮制精巧的饮品。水质很硬的水，或水流终端安装的过滤壶，可导致水壶产生水锈、漂垢，并在液体中残留沙砾状细小沉淀。英国皇家泰勒茶(Taylors of Harrogate)为其最畅销的约克郡茶提供了两种配方，以此取悦顾客，其中一种配方专为硬水地区的饮用而设计。一些法国人声称，富维克(Volvic)软山泉水才能泡出最有味道的咖啡，同时，用瓶装水泡早餐茶的也不只是他们。
水或许不像醉人佳酿那般令人兴奋，但它也许是最受欢迎、也最令人满意的饮品。我记得半个世纪前，我走访过的几乎每个希腊山村都这样待客：满满一匙果酱（补充损失的能量），一杯提神的咖啡，还有他们最引以自豪的待客佳品――一杯冰凉的水，村民们真心实意地认为，这里的水比其它任何地方的水都更纯、更净、更甜。
我希望这种殷勤好客的风俗长盛不衰。我盼望着有一天，任何地方的餐厅老板和宴会女主人都能效仿美国人的文明习惯，在递给客人菜单细读的同时，在餐桌上放一壶新鲜冰凉的自来水。美味佳肴的确重要，但水才是生命的精华。
液体财富：
天然矿泉水（NATURAL MINERAL WATER）
欧盟(EU)规定，任何贴有“矿泉水”标签的水，必须取自经过鉴定和受到保护的水源，水源的矿物盐成分使其具备可能有益健康的特性。必须确保其成分稳定、无需处理就天然健康。天然水流不得过度开采装瓶，以免影响整个地下水位，或改变水源的独有特性。必须从水源采水，在严格的卫生条件下完成装瓶。消毒时不采用巴氏杀菌法、臭氧或超紫外线处理。与酸奶类似，天然矿泉水的分子很活跃。一旦打开封口，其它细菌可能会进入瓶中。最好在开瓶后的一两天内喝完。
山泉水（SPRING WATER）
和天然矿泉水一样，欧盟规定山泉水须取自地下水源，在严格操作条件下装瓶，无需处理即具备微生物安全性，但可能过滤掉一些物质，如铁和硫磺。尽管必须接受全面的细菌学纯净度检测，但山泉水无须具备治疗功效。
泡腾水（EFFERVESCENCE）
天然矿泉水和山泉水可能要么静止不动，要么冒泡翻腾。瓶身标签上的“自然冒泡”（naturally sparkling）或“自然碳化”（naturally carbonated）字样，意味着该水来自地下，含有充分的天然二氧化碳，故而冒泡。这种气体最初可能会被抽出，在装瓶线上又重新注入(部分或全部)。如单独使用“冒泡”或“含碳酸气体”字样，则说明水中所含碳酸气体是在装瓶线上人工添加的。
自来水（TAP WATER）
所有自来水都来自海水、河水、湖水、雨水或融消雪水，从河流、水库或地上凿洞处采集，经处理后储存，准备灌入自来水总干线，通过管道输送到千家万户。在英国，水经过多道净化流程“变得安全”，随后经过氯消毒，可能还会添加氟化物。
家庭水处理（HOME TREATMENTS ）
在发达国家，自来水尽管安全，但可以通过家庭处理，改善其味道和口感。只需把水从龙头中放出，放上24小时，即可蒸发绝大部分氯元素。其它办法包括使用碳滤水壶系统（比如Brita牌滤水壶），以减少沉淀物，并消除约75%的氯、铅、铜、铝和杀虫剂（但不会滤掉氟化物）。如果安装一套反渗透水处理装置，比如Freshly Squeezed Water，可去除“生水”中约90%的矿物质和化学物质，消溶污染物及沉淀物，包括纳和氟化物。
