Selters is a German

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

of natural

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

sourced from wells in the area of Selters in

Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...

, at the Taunus mountains. The water has been known since the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

and famous as a natural soda water because of its high concentration of

sodium bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate ( IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda (or simply “bicarb” especially in the UK) is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cat ...

, "soda". The Selters water also contains raised levels of

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

chloride The term chloride refers to a compound or molecule that contains either a chlorine anion (), which is a negatively charged chlorine atom, or a non-charged chlorine atom covalently bonded to the rest of the molecule by a single bond (). The pr ...

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 ...

, sulfate and

potassium Potassium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol K (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number19. It is a silvery white metal that is soft enough to easily cut with a knife. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to ...

ions An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

. The water is naturally carbonated, over 250 mg/L, but sold in both sparkling and still versions. The name and the water of Selters are the prototype of

seltzer Carbonated water is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, either artificially injected under pressure, or occurring due to natural geological processes. Carbonation causes small bubbles to form, giving the water an effervescence, effer ...

, a generic term for soda water in the United States.

History

The Romans used the wells and may have given the origin of the current name Selters, either from (water jump) or (salt rising), but both possibilities present linguistic uncertainties. The same name is also used in some other places in Germany with mineral wells. The wells are mentioned already in 772 in documents at the nearby monasteries in

Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...

and Lorsch. In the 16th century under the rule of Johann von der Leyen, the water from the wells gained international fame. Selters has been popular as a spa resort, and the water has been used for health effects, as well as for its taste. The water has been exported in large quantities for many centuries; in 1787 J. F. Westrumb reported that over a million Selters bottles were exported all around the world. The Selters bottle was common during the 17th to 19th centuries, made of stoneware, not to confuse with the modern " seltzer bottle" i.e. a soda siphon. Artificial "selters waters" with added minerals have been created to make competition, thus helping to establish the fame of the original water as an international reference of soda water, e.g. by Torbern Bergman, who made thorough analyses of mineral waters and in 1775 presented how to make

carbonated water Carbonated water is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, either artificially injected under pressure, or occurring due to natural geological processes. Carbonation causes small bubbles to form, giving the water an effervescent quali ...

to mimic genuine mineral waters.Torbern Bergman's biography
. The production at the famous main well in Niederselters was terminated in 1999, but production continues at a well in the nearby (25 km away) village of Selters-Löhnberg, in commercial use for almost 200 years, as well as at the competing one in Oberselters. There is a Selters water museum in Niederselters. The words "Selters", "Selterwasser" or "Selter" have become synonyms for all kinds and brands of mineral water primarily in north and eastern Germany.

References

External links

{{NIE Poster, Selters Water * http://www.selters.de/ The Selters water production plant * http://www.oberselters.de/ The Oberselters water production plant Bottled water brands Carbonated water German drinks German brands Mineral water

History

See also

References

External links