😋

Ive never heard of this

In English, I think it's just "sparkling water that's been left to sit for awhile." :)

I haven't head of something between sparkling and still, though there are several variations depending on whether something is added:

• Seltzer water - just carbonation without additives.
• Club Soda or soda water - either created using the original process or having mineral salts added to emulate the taste of methods used before direct injection of CO2 gas. Some people prefer the flavor for its own sake, while it's used elsewhere so that a mixed drink made with it is authentic to the way it traditionally tastes.
• Tonic water - contains quinine, historically used as a defense against malaria. As with club soda, its distinct taste became part of the traditional flavor of certain mixed drinks, most famously gin & tonic.
• Perrier comes from a spring with natural carbonation, though the CO2 actually in the bottled version is restored or re-added, since the water loses carbonation in the filtration process.

I don't think I had ever seen sparkling water until I was traveling on business, and the only time I think I'd consider it is when traveling. Sparkling water is far less likely to be contaminated, while a bottle of open still water could've been refilled with water straight from the tap by a restaurateur trying to save money who thinks bottled water's just about snobbishness or prejudice.

To me, sparkling water tastes very bitter, even without additives. Given that I've seen other people drink it without flinching, I assume it's that it tastes different to me than them. Perhaps it's something like the PTC sensitivity that determines if celery tastes bitter to you (though I do not taste PTC, and celery doesn't taste bitter to me).