Do you put table salt on your food?

[PhilipLaos]

For about 40 years, I've been in the habit of just eating what is put in front of me without adding salt or other condiments. Just lately, I've started sprinking table salt on the food - and found it tastes so much better. Why is that? Is it the taste of the salt itself, or does it bring out the taste of the food onto which it is sprinkled?



Anyway, do you put salt onto your food after it arrives on your plate?


Philip

[Dibble201Bty]

I only have table salt (and vinegar) on Chip shop, chips (fries). the only other thing I have vinegar (and ground black pepper) on is sardines.

Paul

[Admiral]

I generally prefer Sea Salt over mined salt, but, yes, I salt me food sometimes.

As I've gotten up in years I've begun to actually taste my food 1st, where as before I just salted it all regardless.

I use alotta black pepper, too.

[Pruitt]

I use salt and season all (combination of spices). I don't salt all my foods, but some fast foods need it. I find most french fries have very little salt these days. I put salt in my rice (before cooking and a little olive oil). Certain soups need it as well. My ex-wife taught my kids to put salt on oranges and grapefruit. There are some things I refuse to and this is one. I like a sour grapefruit on occasion as well as the sweet ones.

Pruitt

[Tuck's Luck]

I'm very liberal with the sea salt and black pepper - on everything I eat, apart from the desserts.

I know it's not meant to be good for you, but from what I can make out, the main problem is that too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and/or exacerbate difficulties in those already prone to high blood pressure and heart problems. My blood pressure has always been on the low side ... so I've never really been concerned about my salt intake. I just like salty, well seasoned food.

[Major Sennef]

No, much as I like (sea) salt because how it improves taste,
too much salt is not that good for you for reasons Jennie stated.
Our daily need of salt intake is amply met in the salt already present in the food.

[PhilipLaos]

Originally Posted by Major Sennef

Our daily need of salt intake is amply met in the salt already present in the food.

In landlocked countries and mountainous areas, the amount of salt in unprocessed food and fresh vegetables is much lower than in coastal countries since the salt content of the soil is far lower and seafood is not commonly available. Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) is a big health problem here in Laos but is now countered by companies adding extra iodine to the commercially available salt.


Philip

[Slug]

I know it's wrong, but even though I have high blood pressure among other things, I will on occasion, put shaker salt on my food.
Much of our processed food such as deli products have much salt.
My blood pressure has gone down since I have lost some weight and changed some of my eating habits.
Pepper has replaced much of my salt needs.
There are many products our there that are low sodium or salt free.
I'm all over that stuff.
I've probably tried most of them.
And you know what?
Low sodium chips, etc. aren't too bad.
There are trade offs.

[Half Pint John]

Originally Posted by Admiral

I generally prefer Sea Salt over mined salt, but, yes, I salt me food sometimes.

As I've gotten up in years I've begun to actually taste my food 1st, where as before I just salted it all regardless.

I use alotta black pepper, too.

Were did the mined salt come from? It probably has less contaminates in it than the sea salt?

I only use salt on a select few items. Tomatoes, and believe it or not cantaloupe and corn on the cob. Other wise, don't need or want it. Salt, like fat increases the taste. Pepper, fresh ground and just about another spice or herb is always being used. Texas Pete or Tabasco is close at hand as well.

[D1J1]

I use much, much less than I used to due to blood pressure issues. But some things simply demand salt: cucumbers, tomatoes and corn on the cob should never be eaten without salt. To do so is blasphemy and sacrilege!

Regards,
Dennis

[101combatvet]

I have never put salt on a meal... when cooking I use less than what is called for. I do use pepper on occasion. On a western omelette I will add...

[Pruitt]

John,

I have been inside a salt mine here in Louisiana (Cote Blanche Island). It is a beautiful place with all the crystal salt. What they do there is dig out areas and leave some pillars to support the weight. They evacuate the place when they blast. It would seem there is methane gas in the salt in pockets! When I found out my respirator would not work on methane I quit.

They take the loose rock salt, grind it and send up to the surface on a conveyor belt.

I imagine there are salt deposits in Indochina. It all depends on where they are and how they mine it. I would imagine the safety rules there are less strict.

Pruitt

[Admiral]

I reckon most the mineral salt I use comes from one or the other of 2 major mines here in Sasnak - (Carey or Morton), John. Though alotta health food nuts or marketing towards them generally likes to claim Sea Salt is 'better for you', there is really no chemical differences in terms of the final product.

Gourmets & others like it more for reasons of its slight impact upon 'mouth experience' due to it generally being dispensed in grinder/shakers by the final user or the cook before serving... it is a bit more coarse & its dissolution rate is slightly different, which seems to have a miner impact upon taste experience. That isn't to say that either tastes any better on their own, the flavor is essentially the same, only that the taste experience is slightly different. On sea food, a good steak, or tater chips ('kettle fried') I prefer it for those reasons. But on a good old greasy loaded up cheeseburger or most anything that has been cooked with it I don't think it would make even the slightest bit of difference. I prefer the mineral salt for me hard boiled eggs.

By all I have ever seen between the two when I use it, the commercial purity is pretty much the same. I couldn't speak for anything produced by people on their own in a domestic situation with sea salt, though. I usually have various peppers around in seemingly similar preferences as you, my friend!

[Pruitt]

Sea salt has a range of different minerals in it, like Iodine. Salt mines has prehistoric salt that has had these minerals squeezed out. The oil industry loves salt domes, because there is usually oil there as well. I remember years back an oil well drilled into the salt mine underneath and the whole lake went down the hole. In fact, everything on the lake went down the hole, including the drilling well! After a while it all came spitting back up out of the well. this happened near Delcambre many years ago. The drilling company had to pay a large damage suit brought by the salt mine owners!

Pruitt

[Jay217]

I find salt usually kills alot of the flavor for me... or else just replaces it with a salty taste i don't care food except certain foods. I like salty french fries, and potatoe chips.

however putting salt on fruit drives me insane, because I'm expecting a sweet or sour juicy morsel of food, but end up with a bland, salty not to juicy anymore food. Watermelon is the worst for it, and half my family salts, the other half despises it.