Ros Rants: A sprinkle of salt

Salt is magic for me. Of all the ingredients that can be used to enhance the flavour of food, salt is the most effective when correctly used. The emphasis being on correct! I loathe food that is over-salted. It kills the taste of any dish, so it’s essential to find the right balance.

There is a hysteria surrounding the use of salt.  It is not unfounded if one is a fast food or ready meal addict. The NHS suggests limiting salt consumption to 6g of salt per day, per person. For a family of four, this equates to approximately a rounded tablespoon.  That is a considerable amount of salt and nowhere near the amount that one would use normally use in cooking a day’s worth of food. If you were to buy ready meals from a supermarket for a family for a day, the salt allowance would be hugely exceeded and be enormously unhealthy. It is these types of situations in which the dangers of eating too much salt become a reality.

This negative association has tarnished the spice’s reputation. However, I’d argue strenuously for a little salt to be given the position that it deserves – celebrated as a key ingredient in cooking, sufficient to make food taste delicious when used sparingly.

Salt has been around for centuries, valued and even used as currency in early days.  We actually need a certain amount of salt for decent bodily function. It is therefore not the villain that it is made out to be, but a good friend that converts what could be tasteless dishes into memorable and delicious ones.

Please do not feel guilty when using salt but embrace its powers! Use it sparingly but well.

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