Sea Salt and Other Spices

I've noticed America has an obsession with salt.  I have to admit, I used to be the same way.  There was a time when french fries had to have so much salt that I couldn't taste the fries.  I guess that should say something about the fries.  I always wanted the saltiest chips, the saltiest everything.  I'm starting to notice that the American culture is filled with salt addiction.

When I look at Americans in restaurants I notice salt being poured on meals everywhere.  It's the same, mostly bland table salt.  Every food seems to get the salt treatment.  Nothing from burgers to pasta is too good for salt.  I'm sure many a fine chef would be heartbroken to see their dishes ruined by a patron dousing it with salt.

Salt has become an unhealthy answer to our inability to know how to spice a dish properly.  Very few people actually know how to use spices.  I don't really blame Americans for being bad cooks.  In many cases it's not their fault.  No one ever taught them how to cook, so how can they be expected to know how to properly spice.  Sometimes recipes seem too bland and tasteless if you work from the book.  If you aren't familiar with cooking, it's hard to figure out how to spice something right.

One of the things that helped me learn how to get away from salt was a guessing game with spices.  I used trial and error a little at a time.  Pepper is a miracle replacement for salt.  I quickly found that I didn't need salt in my cooking at all.  It was just used to taste by the people eating it and even then I didn't often find anyone using it.  The salt wasn't kept out and easy where people were dining.  I've found far fewer people grab for the salt when it's not out and easy to access.  When you have to ask for something, you're less likely to use it.

Another thing that drastically reduced my salt consumption was the use of sea salt.  Sea salt is so much more flavorful than regular table salt.  As a result, so much less is needed on any dish, which is far healthier.  I have to say, it's certainly helped reduce my salt consumption.

Perhaps that's a direction we need to start going in this country.  We need to push away from salt on everything and instead focus on good food and learning how to really cook.  Foods would taste better and we'd be happier and healthier!