This Is the Secret Ingredient Which Makes LaCroix So Delicious

People may not necessarily agree on its pronunciation. People may not agree on its best flavor. There’s no need for fan in-fighting, however, because, at the end of the day, every can of LaCroix sparkling water relies on one very specific ingredient to provide its distinct flavor, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Much like any given canned carbonated beverage, LaCroix lists its ingredient right on the vessel, so shouldn’t the secret be painfully evident? No, because the term “natural flavor” is just about as vague an ingredient as there is. If you were to encounter “natural flavor” on a recipe for cookies, you wouldn’t know whether to add fresh cocoa beans or a pine cone.

LaCroix’s website expands a bit on the vague “natural flavors” a bit, but not by much, specifying the flavoring down to the very specific “natural essence oils.” (Still debating pine cone versus cocoa bean but under the guise of essence oil.) The Wall Street Journal expands a bit on the prevalence of essential oil in consumer products.

“Essence is actually a clear, concentrated natural chemical that’s been used for decades in products as varied as gravy, ice pops, coffee, shampoo and even insecticide, according to industry executives and scientists.”

The process through which these oils are extracted involves the heating of scraps from fruits or vegetable, namely rinds, skins, and other leftovers at very high temperatures, then captured the produced vapors. The vapors are in turn condensed into a concentrate, which is then added to their product.

That’s how LaCroix gets all 15 of its flavors, by taking refuse and making it refreshing. It is good news to know that someone is finally making use of mango pits. If you’re looking to cut back on your drinking, sparkling water is always a low-risk alternative. And remember, it’s not the same thing as seltzer, which actually isn’t as healthy as it claims to be.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]