Why You Should Put Salt on Your Fruit
Quick show of hands: Who here puts salt on fruit? Wow, huh—not that many. Maybe on a trip to Vietnam or Thailand where you sprinkled salt along with dried chile on sweet mango slices to make bot muoi ot or prik glua and swore you'd never eat unsalted fruit again but forgot that vow the second you stepped off the plane? Perhaps in Mexico when you sprinkled chile-lime-saltTajín seasoning into a bag of cut melon to create fruta con chile y limón and felt as if you were living in an endless summer and then your got sorta sad once you came home? Possibly that one time you accidentally reached for the wrong container and sprinkled salt instead of sugar on your berries and were nigh on unnerved by how good that was and you feared you had soared so close to the sun you'd dare not try it again?
Yeah, you need to get over all that because salted fruit is the best. Really, why aren't we doing this all the time as a matter of course in the US? Sure, fruit is marvelous on its lonesome—no shade on Mom Nature here—but why would a person spoon sugar onto their fruit with impunity, and get all squicked at the thought of a little flaky Maldon? Fruit is already marvelously sweet, so why double down? Instead, complement the flavor with a little flick of your favorite salt (you do have a favorite salt, yah?) or even—and hear me out—a dash of vinegar. A little splash of balsamic vinegar on strawberries or stone fruit is like seeing the face of your long-gone childhood dog as it scampers across a butterfly-filled meadow and knowing with all your heart that they're chasing their bliss into eternity.
But back to the salt. A chunky or flaky salt adds a textural thrill to the mix along with the flavor. You don't need to use a heavy hand, just a pinch or so to a bowl of strawberries, melon chunks, bananas, peaches, mango slices, pineapple, or whatever fruit happens to be in season. Add a little chile powder or smoked paprika to the salt if you're feeling frisky, or even a squeeze of lime or some apple cider vinegar. It'll highlight the unique flavors of each fruit and underscore its sweetness like whoa. Like all of a sudden, someone added a whole extra harmony to your favorite song.
If you don't dig it, fine! Lead your life. If you do, I am so glad that we were able to take this short and meaningful journey together. Go forth, salt your fruit, and sing its praises.
