system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How is fruit flavor “essence” captured? If soda water is unsweetened and zero-calorie, how is the flavor added?
gpt
Essence is created by heating the fruits and their skins/rinds, hot enough that it produces vapor. This vapor contains microscopic oil particles that have the flavor of the fruit, so when you collect that vapor, you're collecting some flavor. It's like fruit flavored steam. Then you can add that collected liquid to all kinds of foods and drinks to add a subtle fruit flavor without adding actual chunks of fruit.