#HYDRATION

The New York Times is seldom wrong. Already at the end of December 2023, they concluded that water is one of the culinary trends for 2024. Fast-forward to mid-March, the finals of the European selection for Bocuse d’Or in Trondheim, where an extremely happy, medal-winning chef whispered “It was because of the water” to one of our Nordic BE WTR colleagues. (We are the official water partner of Sirah/Bocuse d’Or) Water is definitely not just water anymore. It is a strong TikTok-trend, a matter of bottled concern for the UN, a life hack from your doctor, a magic ingredient in the kitchen and a resource of significant importance for the world’s best chefs. What happened?

Gilles Belles, water ambassador for BE WTR in France, explains: “We have trivialized water for a long time, and we have forgotten its importance in the sensory and taste experience. We took it for granted. But now the culinary world is awakening, water is finally given the attention it deserves. If you compare it to just a few years back the difference is actually striking. Today everyone who works in a Michelin star or high-level restaurant knows that every single ingredient plays a role, and you don’t leave anything to chance, water included.”

That water historically has been somewhat ignored in the culinary field is also the conclusion of an interesting University paper on food preparation and water composition which states that we haven’t researched it enough. But that is changing. At BE WTR we have a Research and Development team that resembles very much the department run by Q in the James Bond movies.

A lab with experts/nerds that can talk for hours about water filtration methods or differences in the local water between different Swiss regions. These are the masterminds that have come up with AQTiV+, a true water innovation for high gastronomy. Thanks to our activated water, a carafe handblown in mythical La Rochère, combined with a high-tech, Swiss resonator, you get water where the water molecules dance. Resulting in a velvety and silky texture that opens up your taste buds and enhances the flavours of the food on your plate and the wine in your glass. In short: the activated water kicks your gastronomic pleasure up to the next level. AQTiV+ was also used as a palate cleanser by all juries between the courses at Bocuse d’Or in Trondheim.

There is already a next level. Chefs, pâtissiers, bakers and chocolatiers are experimenting with BE WTR AQTiV+. What happens if you add it to the dough of your focaccia, or the dark chocolate pralines? How can it enhance the red wine sauce and take the edge off the acidity in your lemon sorbet? Water is truly the new black in gastronomy and a culinary trend that will be around for much longer than only 2024.