The growing appeal of flavored waters

A sprig of lemon verbena, a few slices of cucumber or rounds of lemon: Most of us have occasionally had waters flavored with these and other fresh ingredients, usually only in high-end restaurants.

But now, flavored water is everywhere, the hot new trend. Unlike some food fads, this trend is a good one, especially when you pursue it with common sense and don't fall prey to marketing forces, which are ramping up as I write.

A few weeks ago, several local agencies — Network for a Healthy California, California Health Collaborative, the Sonoma County Water Agency, Cal Fresh and the Santa Rosa City Take It From the Tap Program, among them — came together to present a "Rethink Your Drink" tasting at the Wednesday Night Market.

The plan was to ask several public figures and other local "celebrities" to create signature waters, but as the date of the tasting grew near, there were not enough submissions. Someone thought to ask the managers of all Sonoma County farmers markets to participate by submitting a signature recipe for a water flavored with up to four ingredients, which could be fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, flowers or spices.

Nine managers representing 10 markets submitted recipes. On the day of the event, the apprentices of the Worth Our Weight Culinary Apprenticeship Program executed all the recipes and transported them to the market late that afternoon for the tasting. The young cooks were so inspired that they also created their own signature water.

When the votes were tallied, four waters took the top three slots. Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market came in third with raspberry, boysenberry, blueberry and edible flower water. The Petaluma Farmers Market landed second place with lavender lemon water. First prize went to Hilda Swartz, manager of the Oakmont Certified Farmers Market and the Sonoma Valley Certified Farmers Market, for her water flavored with strawberries, blueberries and mint.

And the Grand Prize went to the Worth Our Weight apprentices, whose pineapple, orange, cilantro and rose-petal water garnered the most votes of the day.

Young people, like these apprentices, are among the groups targeted by the "Rethink Your Drink" campaign, as this population tends to drink a lot of sugary beverages and the goal of the campaign is to reduce reliance on them. Judging by the apprentices' enthusiasm, reaching young people and convincing them that there are healthy, inexpensive and delicious alternatives may be easier than some officials have feared.

Part of the appeal of flavored water — other than the taste, which is delightfully refreshing — is the ease of making it. You need only tap water, a few ingredients and a pitcher or jar. It is best to use seasonal produce grown without chemicals and easiest to get it from your own garden or your local farmers market. When you do, you don't have to worry about seasonality.

For more information about flavored waters, other similar beverages and how to make them, visit Eat This Now, this column's companion blog at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.