In addition to being a palate cleanser, carbonation helps create balance in fatty, high-sodium meals. That’s because carbonated water, soda, and beer are all acidic. Just as acids help regulate the salt and fat in your cooking, the acidity in sodas and other bubbly drinks helps to keep the rich flavors of a steak dinner in balance. For comparison, the pH (a measurement of acidity) in soda is generally between two and five while carbonated water is usually in the three to four pH range. Beer, which is usually not quite as carbonated as sodas but does have its fair share of bubbles, has a pH of around four.
The acidity of each of these carbonated beverages is plenty to help cut the fat and balance the salt in your steak dinner. But you can also increase pH, and thus the power of each to balance your meal, with a squeeze of lemon. The citrus fruit’s juice falls within two to three on the pH scale, making it the perfect acid to add to your sparkling water, cola, or frosty mug of beer. That high acidity is why lemon juice is a common ingredient in so many recipes, after all.
