"salt" news and stories

Remember the old potato chip slogan, "No one can eat just one"? Well, it turns out there may be a granule of scientific truth to that bit of advertising bravado -- for some of us, at least.

According to a study published this week in the journal Physiology & Behavior, some people appear to be genetically hardwired to enjoy saltier foods than others. So-called "supertasters" are people who experience all tastes more intensely (sweet, bitter, salty), and the participants in the study who were identified as supertasters reported eating saltier foods.

"Most of us like the taste of salt," said John Hayes, a food researcher at Penn State and one of the study's authors. "However, some individuals eat more salt, both because they like the taste of saltiness more, and also because it is needed to block other unpleasant tastes in food," such as bitterness.

Everything you love about potato chips comes down to the combination of three basic flavors: potatoes, oil and salt. But as health concerns about sodium continue to rise, food manufacturers are scrambling to figure out how to reduce it -- without sacrificing taste.

Research and development executives at PepsiCo, the company that owns Frito-Lay, think they have the answer. And it's a solution only a chemist could love: They're going to change the basic shape of salt.

A quick high-school science class recap: Salt molecules are basic cubes, which means it takes each crystal awhile to break down in your mouth when you're chomping on chips.

SpaghettiOs are getting a makeover.

Campbell Soup Company announced that it's cutting the sodium in its SpaghettiOs canned pasta products by up to 35 percent in an effort to make the dishes healthier for kids.

"Offering healthier versions of our products for kids is a major priority for Campbell," Sean Connolly, president of Campbell's U.S. soups, sauces and beverages, said in a statement obtained by Slashfood.

"Changing the recipe of SpaghettiOs comes on the heels of reducing sodium in our condensed kids soups to healthy levels. It's also consistent with our commitment to advertise only sound food choices to children."

The announcement comes a week after General Mills announced it will cut the amount of sugar in its cereals marketed to kids 12 and under, including Lucky Charms and Trix.

By Christie Matheson
Photography by Joyce Oudkerk Pool
The Harvard Common Press -- 2009
Buy it at Amazon

There is a culinary chasm that is infrequently crossed: There are people who crave sugar and others who crave salt. Very rarely do these worlds collide. However, "Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt" manages to successfully bridge the gap, offering the savory-inclined a variety of non-saccharine sweets.

See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying, after the jump.

At first glance you might wonder if this is some sort of science project. But what it lacks in immediate familiarity, it makes up for in taste -- especially when you consider it's a simple combination of three of any cook's most important ingredients: garlic, olive oil and coarse salt.

For this head of perfectly roasted garlic, blogger The Brown Eyed Baker simply cut off enough of the bulb to expose the cloves, drizzled them with a tablespoon of olive oil and added a generous sprinkling of salt before covering it with aluminum foil and roasting the entire thing for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Great for use in pasta and pizzas and slathered on bread, those who truly love garlic may have a hard time not eating this straight out of the oven. But whatever you do with those golden-brown cloves, don't forget to save the skins for broth!

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