Pursuits

This Water Costs More Than a Single Malt Whisky

A small but influential group of top chefs are using smoked water as a key ingredient.

The Anglesey coastline.

Photographer: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Chef Heston Blumenthal wanted a simple and consistent way to imbue risotto with a smoky flavor at the Fat Duck, his Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, England. The most obvious way, he thought, was to start with the water. But there was nothing on the market.

He put forth a challenge: Make me some smoked water.