I love to grill, but not with the so called briquettes. Only solid hard wood lumps.

The more familiar pillow-shaped briquettes are made from charred granules that typically come from sawdust. These are mixed with anthracite coal, cornstarch, and borax. Nitrate is added to help the charcoal ignite more quickly, and lime to help it assume a white, ashy appearance that lets grillers know the coals are hot enough to begin cooking over.

Borax, by the way, is banned as a food additive in the US and makes a good fire retardant.

A Burning Question - CHOW.