Move over Morton, iodized table salt is losing its popularity as more chefs and food products are using sea salt instead. In fact, in 2010 alone, sea salt has been introduced to nearly 1,350 food products.
So what’s so special about sea salt, anyways? Actually, sea salt has many differences in comparison to its table salt counterpart. Harvested from evaporated seawater, sea salt has a coarser and crunchier texture and also is bigger in surface area. Many favor sea salt because they say it is more flavorful. Moreover, because of sea salt’s stronger flavor profile, you may find yourself using less of it than regular table salt, which can result in a lower-sodium diet.
Even big names in the fast-food industry are getting in on the trend and marketing their use of sea salt. Take the popular chain, Wendy’s, for example. They’ve just introduced their new Natural-Cut fries with Sea Salt – a bold move in the french fries wars amongst big name rivals like McDonald’s and Burger King. New products guru from Mintel, Lynn Dornblaser believes that sea-salt has the potential to “grow as fast as low-carb did.”
So who else is using sea salt? Campbell’s, Target brand Archer Farms, and Whole Foods are all proudly labeling sea salt on their packages. If you want to offer a new twist with your menu items and appeal to this new trend, there are many things you can do with salts. Did you know you can smoke them or even flavor them with other seasonings such as mushroom powder, smoked paprika or even lemongrass? Smoked salt is a really easy way to add smoked flavor to any food. Its strong aroma is ideal on meats and vegetables.
Will this new trend affect your restaurant menu?