THE DISH: Water, water everywhere but not for me

Fiji water. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

What you need to know:

  • Why do I hate drinking water unless I absolutely have to?
  • It has absolutely no taste – and so it tastes funny to me.
  • Do you have feedback on this article? E-mail: [email protected]

In the interest of attempting to be an adult and therefore acting like one, I am trying more and more to drink water. This is something that is easy for most people.

It's just water, right? Wrong.

I happen to be one of those people who absolutely hate drinking water. There's more of us too, who agree with me – I just haven't found them yet, ha.

Why do I hate drinking water unless I absolutely have to? It has absolutely no taste – and so it tastes funny to me. Why is it that most things that are good for you are more often than not in disagreement with your taste buds? The tastelessness irritates me immensely.

It's hard for me to build up enthusiasm to down even one glass of water. And so, while in the States, because Americans have a million and one versions of everything, I decided to try as many types of water as I could – which won't be listed here, for brevity's sake, but I will write down my most recent ones.

Purified water in a box. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

My favourite type of water tastes like it came out of the ground, like it has some earth to it – but that's probably because I'm anaemic. I like the kind that comes out of those earthenware water filters, the clayish coloured ones, you know?

America, however, has no clayish coloured water filters, but has aisles upon aisles of choice concerning what to drink. Who would have thought that something so simple could be so complicated?

 

1. Vitamin water

Remember when 50 Cent started a line of these and everyone thought he was ridiculous? Turns out he wasn't – and turns out, people will buy vitamin anything if they think it'll help them along the path of youth.

The vitamin water I had was a bit too sweet for me – a lot of the time, they run the risk of tasting like dilute Quencher or just juice. This one, was just juice.

Vitamin water. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

2. Fiji water

I was curious about this water because, why is it called Fiji water, of all things? And when I chanced upon it, it cost $5 (about Sh500). What does $5 water taste like? Answer – like every other water, for the record.

It didn't taste special, just excessively purified, and I probably wouldn't buy it again – but at least now I know.

3. Life Wtr

Now here they were trying to be trendy and skip out on letters like Generation Z, I guess? And it would seem like the excessive purification – which they really stress on, by the way – is a running theme in American water, which, in my opinion, just makes it taste flat.

But I guess that's what the market wants if they keep producing the same thing, in different bottles and colours, right? The label said they've added electrolytes for taste. What taste?

Life WTR. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

4. Acqua Panna

When I was in Cuba, this water was so delectable! It tasted like springs in a healthy forest, or some other such air freshener talk.

But I think they make it differently in the States, unfortunately. I ordered it expecting the same delectable taste I knew and love, and was a bit disappointed that it tasted just like number 2 and 3, to say in the least.

Acqua Panna water. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

So finding water that I like proved to be much harder than I anticipated, and not just because water does not taste good – no offense to all the hydrators out there.

But I think I will continue to stick to Nairobi City Council water, which, by the way, is treated and is cleaner than a large chunk of commercial water brands out there. And, it actually has a taste. Here's to adulthood!

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