Nimbu Soda

Created in north India and sipped all over India and the South Asian diaspora, nimbu soda gets its signature funkiness from kala manak, a Himalayan salt used in Indian cooking to impart tangy sulfur flavor in the spice blend chaat masala and sprinkled over chaat. That flavor comes from the sodium sulfate found in its composition, and is key to the tangy, earthy notes in spice blends like chaat masala. You can make this drink with regular table salt, but it’s worth seeking out kala namak, or black salt at your local Asian grocery store, or online at thespicelab.com. 

Nimbu soda is the sparkling cousin to nimbu pani, a sweet-spiced lemonade made with still water. Both the sparkling and still versions of this drink are said to have ayurvedic health benefits. When it’s hot out, we tend to sweat, and then drink water to cool down and rehydrate. Drinking water may cool you off, but it dilutes your body’s sodium reserves, and can lead to dehydration and muscle cramps. The salt in nimbu soda helps maintain healthy sodium levels in the body. Meanwhile, cumin and black salt aids in digestion, making this drink a popular option after heavy meals.

Why the nimbu soda works

The flavor combination of citrus, salt, and spices is amplified by the carbonation in the sparkling water in the nimbu soda. Feel free to adjust the sweet and salt levels to your preferences by adding more sugar or salt — just a pinch at a time — to the drink. You can punch up the flavors even more by using chaat masala instead of kala manak. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Be sure to mix the lime juice with the salt and sugar before adding the sparkling water; they will dissolve better that way.