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Drink

Effervescing Soda

A fizzy drink made by mixing bicarbonate of soda, syrup, water, and tartaric acid.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 4 ingredients
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Effervescing Soda

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the syrup thoroughly.

  2. Add cold water while stirring.

  3. Mix in the tartaric acid and drink immediately.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Powdered bicarbonate of soda
Reacts with the tartaric acid in water to release carbon dioxide, which makes the drink fizz.
Powdered tartaric acid
Reacts with the bicarbonate of soda in water to release carbon dioxide, providing the fizz and a sour bite.
Syrup
Adds sweetness and flavor to balance the sourness of the acid.

The step that matters

Adding the tartaric acid last and drinking immediately. The acid and bicarbonate start releasing carbon dioxide as soon as they meet in water. That gas escapes quickly from the liquid, so the fizz fades if the drink is left to stand.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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