John Zhu is Shanghai’s leading water sommelier – which means he uses his taste buds to advice restaurants on the kind of water they should serve.
He is one of a handful of water sommeliers in China and is a pioneer in the niche industry and has made a profession out of offering expertise to hotels and restaurants all across Asia.
Speaking to CNN, Zhu says that he is often met with scepticism. “People often ask me, doesn’t all water taste the same?” he says
While for a common person, water may appear tasteless, Zhu says differing levels of mineral content gives a water its unique characteristics.
“Water is just like wine, the sources and minerals determine the taste,” he says.
“If the water has a lot of calcium, it tastes sweet and chalky. If it’s rich in magnesium, it tastes metallic. If it contains sodium, it tastes salty.”
To prove his case about the different characteristics of water, Zhu brewed the same type of tea with five different brands of water. The results varied dramatically.
The price of luxury water can come as a shock to those who are unaware about this industry.
Norway’s Lotofen water which is sourced from the Arctic Circle, for example, costs $80 per bottle.
Zhu, however, says that the price of water does not necessarily make it better. The price rather depends on the extraction point. There’s also a high cost of transportation and production involved.
Zhu also founded the Purelogica Academy last year to educate aspiring water sommeliers. He currently has 70 students training with him.
As for his personal favourite water? Zhu says it changes all the time.
Courtesy: CNN
