Always searching for something new, we have tried new ways of preparing our favourite meals, found substitutes for foods that are not good for our health and have made trends an important part of what we eat.
It’s always interesting when you come across a trend that you can fully jump on, one that can actually enhance the taste of your food and also make things easier in the kitchen.
Flavoured salt is an artisanal trend that is enjoying a resurgence in the culinary world and it is set to shake up the flavour in your food, drinks and desserts this season.
Think herbs, garlic and even olive flavoured salt that will enhance the flavour of some of our favourite dishes including pastas, baked potatoes and even eggs.
Homemade herd salt
Picture: Instagram (binkbear)
Gone are the days when salt was simply used to add taste and your only option was to choose between coarse or fine salt. Now you can bring your dishes and spice rack to life with various flavoured salts - with pink Himalayan, herb and garlic salt being some of the most popular variants.
Flavoured salt is a salt-based seasoning which was developed to enhance certain flavours, explains Cape Foods executive director Gerhard Martin.
“With our range, we have used fine Himalayan pink salt as the base to create a flavoured seasoning with a high mineral content.”
Himalayan pink salt has been credited with helping transform the salt industry, even though many thought it was a passing fad. Instead it has pushed artisanal salts to the forefront.
Martin says by adding herbs and spices, a certain taste profile is created that suits certain dishes.
“For example, by adding certain herbs, the flavour of pasta dishes can be enhanced,” Martin says. All dishes that normally require both salt and spices or herbs, are suitable for flavoured salts. Pasta, potatoes, chicken and red meat are perfect examples. If you start off with a salty product, you might not require a flavoured salt, but just the spices or herbs.”
Strawberry flavoured salt
Picture: Instagram (tinawarrenbestyearever)
The merging of salt with popular and familiar flavours like ginger, herbs, lime and even truffles, has resulted in an increase in popularity.
When it comes to flavoured salt, chef and former Masterchef contestant Claire Allen, who used the salts when she was on the show, says everyone is picking up on this growing trend.
“When you go into fine dining restaurants, something they will add is parsley salt or even shiraz red wine salt,” she says.
“It’s something that obviously adds the normal salty flavour depth to your dish, but then it adds that extra flavour. So instead of putting fresh parsley on your dish, put in parsley salt. You have the infusion of the parsley flavour and the fusion of the salt. It also looks pretty and fancy.”
Martin agrees, saying flavoured salt is a global trend that is convenient and cost effective.
“It is all about convenience and cost, and space efficiency. You now have a single multi-purpose product and don’t have to buy salt and a variety of herbs and spices.”
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