Top Price 'Evian' vs Best-Selling Samdasoo... The Factor That Determines Water Taste [Matjalal X File]

Investigation of Mineral Content in 22 Commercial Bottled Waters
Hardness No.1: France Evian... Domestic No.1: Jeju Yongamsu
Lowest: Samdasu and Baeksansu... Choose According to Water Taste Preference

Until the 1990s, each household used to boil barley tea to drink. Many of you probably remember taking out barley tea stored in Del Monte juice glass bottles from the refrigerator and drinking it. However, now that bottled water has become widespread, barley tea or corn tea has become a rare treat that you can only enjoy at your grandmother’s house.

With the rapid increase in single- and two-person households that don’t have time to boil water, ordering water with just a few taps on a smartphone has made it unnecessary to refuse bottled water. It’s also inexpensive. According to Nielsen Korea, the domestic bottled water market, which was worth 390 billion won in 2010, expanded eightfold to 2.32 trillion won last year.

Among them, the market leader is undoubtedly Jeju Samdasoo. It holds a market share of 40%. It is famous for its refreshing taste and clean water source that has been verified.

Taste is important, but pay close attention to nutritional content... Demand for hard water expands in a market centered on soft water

Recently, changes have been observed even in the bottled water market. Since COVID-19, interest in health has surged, and consumers who prioritize not only “taste” but also “nutritional content” have increased. There are two main types of bottled water: hard water, which has a high mineral content, and soft water, which has the opposite.

Until now, the popular water in Korea has been soft water represented by Samdasoo and Baeksansu. Although it has fewer minerals, its refreshing taste is an advantage. Recently, more people have been seeking hard water by considering nutritional content. Hard water contains a lot of minerals and is known to be good for fatigue recovery and anti-aging. A famous hard water is Evian, which comes from Europe.

Water, known to be colorless and odorless, can have different tastes and nutritional contents. If you are going to drink bottled water anyway, it’s better to buy it knowing this. Asia Economy investigated the mineral content of 22 bottled waters sold on the market for meticulous consumers. Mineral content is indicated by hardness. Hardness can be calculated as (Calcium x 2.5) + (Magnesium x 4.1). Based on hardness, water is classified as soft water (0?75), moderately hard water (75?150), hard water (150?300), and very hard water (above 300). For the investigation, calcium and magnesium were calculated using the average of the indicated values. Even when produced from various water sources, the average of the minimum and maximum values was applied.

Hardness champion is 2,200 won Evian... Domestic product is Jeju Yongamsu

First, the bottled water with the highest hardness was Evian (306.6), imported and sold by Lotte Chilsung Beverage. It contains an average of 80.0 mg of calcium and 26.0 mg of magnesium per liter. Due to the limestone-rich European soil, calcium and magnesium contents are known to be high. However, Evian is quite expensive. At convenience stores, 500 mL costs 2,200 won. Since this is more than twice the usual price of water, buying multiple bottles can be quite a burden.

What bottled water with high hardness can replace Evian? The second highest hardness product was Orion’s Jeju Yongamsu (201.9). Although lower than Evian, it is much higher than Sparkle (117.8), which has the next highest hardness. It contains 66.0 mg of calcium and 9.0 mg of magnesium. The price is 1,000 won for 500 mL. Next in order are ▲ Subli (114.4) ▲ Fiji Water (92.1) ▲ Jinro Seoksu (76.5) ▲ Dongwon Saemmul (66.3) ▲ Diamond (53.5) ▲ Jirisan Water (60.6) ▲ Isis (59.4) ▲ Natural Water (55.0) ▲ Pure Water (53.0) ▲ Pyeongchang Water (53.0) ▲ Pulmuone Saemmul (47.2).

The bottled water with the lowest hardness, meaning the least mineral content, was Jeju Development Corporation’s Samdasoo. Samdasoo contains 3.3 mg of calcium and 2.6 mg of magnesium, resulting in a hardness of only 18.8. The second lowest was Nongshim’s Baeksansu, with 4.4 mg of calcium and 3.8 mg of magnesium, showing a hardness of 26.4. Both Samdasoo and Baeksansu, considered among the top three bottled waters in Korea along with Isis, contain the least minerals.

Of course, high hardness does not necessarily mean better water. Many consumers find hard water to have a chalky or bitter taste. Generally, calcium is perceived as sweet, and magnesium as bitter.

Coffee enthusiasts even study water when brewing coffee. The type of water used can greatly affect the taste of coffee as well as the extraction process. Sometimes, it can even cause coffee machine malfunctions. According to barista manuals, the bitterness of coffee generally dissolves better in hard water than in soft water. However, high hardness can damage acidity. Additionally, if there are many metallic components, flavor can be lost, and if iron is abundant, it can combine with tannins to produce a spoiled taste. The best water for brewing coffee is moderately hard water.

Since both taste and nutrition are important and the intended use should be considered, please choose according to your preference.