https://cargillsaltinperspective.com/the-gourmet-appeal-of-sea-salt/
A look at why sea salt continues to make its way into everyday meals.
Sea salt continues to gain momentum as more products with sea salt flavor or sea salt in the ingredient list, pop up on grocery shelves. The desire for sea salt has likely been buoyed by its perceived health halo, and its presence has increased across everyday meal occasions.
Julian Mellentin, director at New Nutrition Business states, “I think it’s partly that sea salt benefits from a more “natural” and “naturally healthy” image, which results in positive media coverage.” Mellentin points out the visually appealing branding of many sea salts, which often features handsome packaging, use of words like ‘premium,’ and ‘authentic,’ and inclusion of information about the place of origin.
Higher perceived quality may be a driving factor behind the trend. “Consumers want better quality ingredients, and they believe that sea salt is a better ingredient than regular table salt,” says Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic. Tristano notes that some restaurants are placing sea salt in tiny bowls with salt spoons at the table, and gourmet sea salt may be served tableside with a specific appetizer. “Use of sea salt is growing in every restaurant segment, but especially in fast casual, which is where we see a lot of trends begin,” notes Maeve Webster, senior director at Datassential.
Sea salt continues to make its way into everyday meals. Reviewing the company’s MenuTrends database of nearly 5,000 menus, Webster notes that the use of sea salt at breakfast has increased by 80 percent over the past four years. Webster points out that “Breakfast is the only daypart that’s growing in the industry now, so operators figure if an ingredient is popular in one place, why it can’t work at breakfast?”
For food processors, the current clamor for sea salt may continue to inspire an increase in variations on an ever-expanding theme, including the addition of flavoring or smoking, and traditional blends. Webster predicts that the trend could create an opening for exotic spice blends such as shichimi tōgarashi, known as seven-flavor chili pepper in Japan, and duqqah, a Middle Eastern blend of herbs, hazelnuts and spices.
“Even for the risk averse, sea salts are a fun way to discover new foods,” says Laurie Demeritt, chief executive officer at The Hartman Group. “We picture the place it came from, and we imagine unique taste or attributes. It’s like a special version of an everyday food.”
