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Soda and Fizzy Drinks: A Global History
An effervescent exploration of the global history and myriad symbolic meanings of carbonated beverages.
More than eighty years before the invention of Coca-Cola, sweet carbonated drinks became popular around the world, provoking arguments remarkably similar to those they prompt today. Are they medicinally, morally, culturally, or nutritionally good or bad? Seemingly since their invention, they have been loved—and hated—for being cold or sweet or fizzy or stimulating. Many of their flavors are lemon and ginger were more popular than cola until about 1920. Some are tarragon in Russia, cucumber in New York, red bean in Japan, and chinotto (exceedingly bitter orange) in Italy. This book looks not only at how something made from water, sugar, and soda became big business, but also how it became deeply important to people—for fizzy drinks’ symbolic meanings are far more complex than the water, gas, and sugar from which they are made.
More than eighty years before the invention of Coca-Cola, sweet carbonated drinks became popular around the world, provoking arguments remarkably similar to those they prompt today. Are they medicinally, morally, culturally, or nutritionally good or bad? Seemingly since their invention, they have been loved—and hated—for being cold or sweet or fizzy or stimulating. Many of their flavors are lemon and ginger were more popular than cola until about 1920. Some are tarragon in Russia, cucumber in New York, red bean in Japan, and chinotto (exceedingly bitter orange) in Italy. This book looks not only at how something made from water, sugar, and soda became big business, but also how it became deeply important to people—for fizzy drinks’ symbolic meanings are far more complex than the water, gas, and sugar from which they are made.
184 pages, Hardcover
Published September 10, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 18, 2022
Another entry in Reaktion Book's 'The Edible Series', Judith Levin's 'Soda and Fizzy Drinks: A Global History' is an interesting and mostly engaging read that hovers somewhere between learned text and mass market non-fiction. With numerous illustrations, some recipes and other appendices this title clocks in at under 190 pages, yet can be easily digested in a couple of hours. It might not be comprehensive, however it does do what it sets out to do (and arguably more).
The structure of the book is straightforward, documenting and discussing soda/soft/fizzy drink from several angles, from its earliest days to today. The first third of the book is mostly focused on the development of the food science and mechanics behind early soft drinks, including the American soda fountain, followed by the growing appeal of said drinks to western societies in the latter half of the 19th Century. There are some useful points made re the technical processes that led to the increasing production of commercial soft drinks, plus some reflection on the nominally medicinal value of some of these early sodas. Levin successfully summarises the nascent soda drinks industry particularly in America and to a lesser extent in western Europe.
In the second part of Levin's narrative she tackles the advent and worldwide success of Coca-Cola, laying out in her text how the US giant (as well as some of its competitors) increased their global economic and cultural footprint. There are other books that will deal with this history in more depth, and it is surprising that Levin doesn't touch on issues such as the importance of colas in southern American culture, or the so-called 'Cola Wars' of the 1980s. It's not surprising that Coca Cola is given such prominence in this book; it is undoubtedly one of the most recognised brands in the world and as Levin discusses, it is seen as having synonymous values or represents the essence of America.
The last segment of Levin's narrative is a broad discussion of the state of play for soft drinks and sodas in the contemporary world. The emphasis here is mostly on the growing balkanisation of the industry, as monolithic companies such as Coke and Pepsi find that they have had to deal with competition and rejection by smaller producers and consumers respectively. Levin observes that in some respects sodas and the such like are returning to the more specialised, more unique, more crafted aspects of its production and marketing.It might be said that this is the least successful element of the book's narrative, however there's still lots to take away from this discussion.
That this book is supposed to be "A Global History' yet spends an inordinate amount of its text looking at the US might disappoint some readers. Levin has left out some things that might have added depth to her study, such as a consideration of the massive commercialisation of mineral waters such as Perrier, and there's no mention of (for example) the invention of Fanta by the Coca-Cola franchised bottler in Nazi Germany. However it would be a mean spirited reviewer who would criticise 'Soda and Fizzy Drinks' on its US-focused, when so much of the product can be directly linked to that country.
'Soda and Fizzy Drinks: A Global History' will find a receptive audience with anyone interested in food history and/or soft drinks in general. It may also be of interest to those contemplating diverse subjects such as marketing, politics and medical history. If soft drinks such as Coke etc are as popular as one would assume they are, then Levin's book will the potential to connect with anyone who wishes to read it.
The structure of the book is straightforward, documenting and discussing soda/soft/fizzy drink from several angles, from its earliest days to today. The first third of the book is mostly focused on the development of the food science and mechanics behind early soft drinks, including the American soda fountain, followed by the growing appeal of said drinks to western societies in the latter half of the 19th Century. There are some useful points made re the technical processes that led to the increasing production of commercial soft drinks, plus some reflection on the nominally medicinal value of some of these early sodas. Levin successfully summarises the nascent soda drinks industry particularly in America and to a lesser extent in western Europe.
In the second part of Levin's narrative she tackles the advent and worldwide success of Coca-Cola, laying out in her text how the US giant (as well as some of its competitors) increased their global economic and cultural footprint. There are other books that will deal with this history in more depth, and it is surprising that Levin doesn't touch on issues such as the importance of colas in southern American culture, or the so-called 'Cola Wars' of the 1980s. It's not surprising that Coca Cola is given such prominence in this book; it is undoubtedly one of the most recognised brands in the world and as Levin discusses, it is seen as having synonymous values or represents the essence of America.
The last segment of Levin's narrative is a broad discussion of the state of play for soft drinks and sodas in the contemporary world. The emphasis here is mostly on the growing balkanisation of the industry, as monolithic companies such as Coke and Pepsi find that they have had to deal with competition and rejection by smaller producers and consumers respectively. Levin observes that in some respects sodas and the such like are returning to the more specialised, more unique, more crafted aspects of its production and marketing.It might be said that this is the least successful element of the book's narrative, however there's still lots to take away from this discussion.
That this book is supposed to be "A Global History' yet spends an inordinate amount of its text looking at the US might disappoint some readers. Levin has left out some things that might have added depth to her study, such as a consideration of the massive commercialisation of mineral waters such as Perrier, and there's no mention of (for example) the invention of Fanta by the Coca-Cola franchised bottler in Nazi Germany. However it would be a mean spirited reviewer who would criticise 'Soda and Fizzy Drinks' on its US-focused, when so much of the product can be directly linked to that country.
'Soda and Fizzy Drinks: A Global History' will find a receptive audience with anyone interested in food history and/or soft drinks in general. It may also be of interest to those contemplating diverse subjects such as marketing, politics and medical history. If soft drinks such as Coke etc are as popular as one would assume they are, then Levin's book will the potential to connect with anyone who wishes to read it.
August 17, 2022
Certainly more US focused than I generally expect Edible books to be, but there's at least some justification to that. Sodas aren't exactly an American thing at this point, but the history is indeed strongly tied to the US. I also didn't mind the focus on brands nearly as much, since it's impossible to discuss sodas without dedicating at least some time to Coke and, to a lesser extent, Pepsi. I would have liked to see more global brands, however, especially the legendary Beverly.
June 26, 2022
Could have done with some better editing, but an interesting quick read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews