Finally, Japan has started selling my favorite sparking water on this planet. Gerolsteiner from Germany! This sparkling water is "very hard" 1400mg/L. Even though it's very hard (blush), it doesn't taste like it has a lot of mineral. I believe this is accomodated because it has fine bubbles :-) Water Hardness is determined by how much mineral there is per liter according to WHO. FYI, Evian's hardness is 291, Contrex's is 1500 while Volvic's is 60. So you can understand how hard my favorite sparkling water is. The harder, the better? Well, yes on a totally different topic I would love to elaborate but it doesn't mean the harder, the better in water. I prefer hard water when I drink though. Japan has relatively soft water. The best water considered in Japan is in Kyoto and
it's ridiculously soft. (the 4th slide) Soft water is good for fixing Japnaese green tea, steaming rice (sticky kind), and Japanese soup stock (Dashi). Hard water is considered good for fixing/boiling meat, pasta and more mineral to consume after workout of course.
Please look at the chart I have here. You can see how soft water in Kyoto is. If you are wondering how soft/hard your water is, you could probably ask your waterworks department. An Italian chef told me once it is very difficult to boil pasta with Kyoto water and doesn't turn out the way he wants so he boils it with mineral water. When I lived in Amsterdam, I had to attach the water softner to my shower because the harder water, the less soap foam and the harder to rinse. So when I distributed beef and chicken up in the air and got assigned to a flight to Tokyo, I was really happy and enjoyed my bathing time back home :-) (Really. Have you ever noticed if you ever made a trip to somewhere where offers harder water and you don't get a lot of soap foam even though you are trying hard?) So when I go to Europe, I have to pack a different kind of soap for better cleansing.... that's a drawback about Europe for me. If your city provides hard water, and if you want to fix something Japanese, I'd suggest you to go get soft water (Volvic) and observe the difference :-) Have I mentioned I am a nerd?
Wow, I'm impressed with your knowledge on this. :-) I don't even know there's "soft" and "hard" water. But yeah, like you, I like it "hard." Lol. Happy Thursday ahead!
cool i m educated! i never knew water has a hardness level
how about water cleaniness for the various country?
like my country, singapore, water is clean enough that people drink it out from the tap
i made the mistake of drinking water from the tap from some country and gets a bad stomach.
Very interesting!
And of course, it's always important to remember not to drop the soap in the shower (unless of course, you have company!!) ;P
shigeki- it's funny. I always bought Gerolsteiner because it was the best deal at Trader Joes in Brookline, MA. Who knew that it was also your favorite. What a bonus. :-)
So I see we're just hard, not very hard here in Toronto. Clearly if you, ah, er, come to Toronto you'll have to enjoy another type of hardness.
There's a British study out there somewhere that suggests the harder a man's, ah, water, the healthier his heart is (e.g. less heart attacks).
steve
I'm surprised DC's water is so soft. It always made me feel slimy when I showered, which I thought was a characteristic of hard water. Now, Beijing's water on the other hand, was simply scary. ew.
Wow Shigeki that is so cool. You are the man!! :-)
It certainly explains why some people have a "hard" time cooking rice. It might be just their water. As for the meat and pasta, another good thing to know.
It also might explain why some people have stains on their teeth that I cannot identify. Besides the usual culprits of coffee, red wine, tea, tobacco, etc.
High mineral content would suggest that this might be the cause. I have been suspicious of this but had no real info.
PS I have socks that have " I Love Nerds" on them.
Have A Wonderful Day!! :-)
Wow. You guys really do compare hard and soft water!
Wow I didn't even know bottled water had hardness ratings! I filter mine, so I guess that must make it softer. I never thought that harder might be better for some things.
TK
I didn't know that there was rating of water as well. You are a man of knowledge!! I just started drinking "hard" water as well and yes Gerolstenier is one of the more popular choice here. I believe it is good for the skin as well????
Hi Mark,
Well, I don't have a lot of knowledge but I happen to know some things some times :-) Now you know there is soft water and hard water :-) BUt I like it soft when I fix my green tea though. It's all about how you use :-) You have a fantabulous weekend!
Hi Circuit Boy,
I am glad but if you compare the two kinds, you will know the difference as the smoothness of the water is totally different. I'd suggest you to do that with Volvic and Contrex. :-) Even though you can drink tap water here in Tokyo, I don't drink it. :-) I always stick with mineral water :-) YOu have a fantabulous weekend!
HI TigerYogi,
Thanks very much. Well, I use a liquid soap at the gym so I don't have to worry about dropping it. :-) You have a fantabulolus weekend!
Hi Gregg,
Really? that's the best deal at your local supermarket? Wow, I am impressed because this is one of the most expensive water here in Tokyo right now!!! I am jealous! You have a fantabulous weekend!
Hi Steve,
Well, the water hardeness in the city listed there may not be accurate depending on which part of the city you are in as it varies depending on which part as well. Hard water can be good but for those people (e.g. Japanese) who are more used to soft water, if you keep drinking hard water a lot, there is a bigger chance to develop a condition for kidney stone though! You have a fantabulous weekend!
Hi Vuboq,
Well, this data may not apply to all the water in DC so the water you had for shower might have been harder. It totally depends on which part you are in. But this list I had there is just for an easier illustration purpose from the data of waterworks department here. :-) I wonder why Beijing Water is scary... You have a fantabulous weekend!
HI Maggie,
Thanks very much but I thought it was one of the boring posts as well :-) huh. Right. depending on the thing you cook, it's wise to use a different kind of water but we don't really do that or any cooking book does state that. When you boil meat with hard water, unnecessary stuff and smell can be more removed is what I was told. But yeah, the unidentified stains you saw could have been stains from hard water. By the way, I read that people in Bhutan has less chance to get a bad tooth because the water they consume has a lot of fluorine. :-) You have a fantabulous weekend!
Hi Paul,
Well, WHO people do, too :-) You have a fantabulous weekend!
Hi T.Kevin,
Yup, there are hardness but you cannot really see how hard it is. THanks to the internet :-) Hard water is good for your skin, as well :-) You have a fantaublous weekend!
HI Ian,
I am glad you got to know something new :-) Well, I am not a man for anything but thanks. I happen to know some things. Taht's all. Yes, you guessed it right. It's good for your skin, too. But since it's TOO HARD, I'd suggest you to ask your doctor if it's okay to drink Gerolsteiner on a regular basis because a lot of people here (who are used to soft warter) may have a chance to develop a kidney stone condition if they consume more than they should. You have a fantabulous weekend!