A pinch of salt
We all know the influence of a simple pinch of salt to enhance a dish, or even bread and butter. The effect is immediate, it highlights the flavors and amplifies the tastes.
The addition of coarse salt is already a classic in the world of chocolate, notably providing a crunchy texture to the bar. But by what taste miracle can salt combine with chocolate?
We refer to the research of the famous chef and chemist Hervé This at the origin of the “Molecular Gastronomy Course” for a scientific approach to the influence of salt. A series of experiments was therefore carried out to test the impact of adding different salts, sugars and acids to various foods and drinks on the perception of taste and flavor. The result we are interested in is somewhat unexpected: salt masks bitterness even better than sugar in many cases, including with chocolate. Additionally, salt could also “intensify pleasant tastes,” especially sweet tastes.
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Photo Hervé This by Claude Truong-Ngoc , Book The culinary details by Hervé This
However, Professor This candidly admits that there is still a lot of research to be done on the subject, particularly on how salt can "sweeten" bitterness and transform flavors: "It is not yet known how stimulation taste receptors produce these effects, but we now know why salt-free diets make us grimace.
Despite an opposite polarity, salt and chocolate are very complementary when you master this clever dosage. If you want to do the experiment yourself, we recommend the tablet from Raaka, Pink Sea Salt 71%. A magnificent unroasted cocoa from the Zorzal ornithological reserve (Dominican Republic) with a small pinch of Peruvian pink sea salt.
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Chocolatier Raaka and their Pink salt bar
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