Salt: The Magic Ingredient
Presented by Society Insurance
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By Kelly Schexnaildre
According to Chef Jason Marble of Marble Table in Billings, Montana, "If you need to salt your food at my restaurant, I didn't do my job correctly. It's like forgetting to put gas in the car."
Why then, is there still an appalling lack of use of this one, holy ingredient? There’s been countless bites of bland pork green chili, under-salted fried eggs, and hot sauce where salt is listed as an ingredient but underwhelming.
Salt is essential to life, and its history is legendary. It’s been a valuable trade commodity, it’s a symbol of purity, it’s been part of religious offerings, and it’s an essential element in the diet of humans and other animals. To say someone is or is not “worth their salt” historically refers to salt traded in economic exchange, and a phrase derived from a time when salt was used as currency to pay for slaves in ancient Greece. It’s the most widely used food preservative, and we have several words derived from its Latin roots such as salary, salad, sauce, and sausage.
Flavor is intricate, and is therefore composed of five elements: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Flavor is teased out of ingredients through correct preparation, combination, and seasoning. Every bite of food, every sip of a cocktail, and every dab of hot sauce is an opportunity to curate an experience for the eater. So it’s no secret that salt today, is the currency with which we deliver flavor to our customers and guests. It is the magic ingredient that when combined with all others, will result in their drawing out and becoming more evident.
From salt, all other flavors spring. This is a rallying cry against bland food and food products. Go forth and be salty!
Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wis., Society Insurance has been a leading niche insurance carrier since 1915. As a mutual insurance company, Society focuses on the small details that make a big difference to its policyholders while offering top-notch insurance coverage, service and competitive pricing to businesses in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, Colorado, Georgia and soon Texas.
Kelly Schexnaildre is a chef, health coach, and the owner + founder of Merfs Condiments. She currently lives in Lighthouse Point, Florida, and is passionate about food, playing drums, fishing, and all things health and fitness.
Find Merfs Condiments online, and @merfscondiments on Facebook, and Instagram. Explore more of Kelly’s articles on Best Served at, “The Road to Self-Love - Part 1,” and “Who Am I? Being Queer In The Bayou.”
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Best Served. To achieve our mission of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing a variety of viewpoints across the industry.
