Many vegan and vegetarian meal bases are great templates for experimentation. Let’s explore flavors, spices, and herbs to further transform delicious Planetarian recipes.
A salt crystal dissolves on your tongue and your whole mouth responds. Literally, salt (sodium chloride) is responsible for human evolution, expanding cultures and cuisines through resource availability and trade.
Salt easily dissolves/recrystallizes and chemically binds with other trace minerals and infused flavors. Salt isn’t just salt. It elevates simple meals to memorable gastronomy, just with a grinder’s twist.
Check out the accompanying chart to innovate your dinner plate.
Most salts come from “away” – but not always. Support local!
Salt is a critical cooking catalyst:
- Preserving meats, fish, pickling, brining, fermenting.
- Leavening, binding agent.
- Texture – for yeast fermentation and gluten formation
- Gelatinizing proteins in cheeses.
- Enhancing sweet/bitter flavors.
Plus, it’s important for our health:
- In moderation – 1500-2300mg/day.
- Table salt includes iodine for thyroid health.
- Iron, folic acid, or other minerals are sometimes added.
- Regulates blood pressure, hydration, hormonal, digestive, inflammatory, neuro-muscular, and immune systems.
Note: the most “addictive” foods are also the saltiest.
What salt is best for the job? Check out this chart!
Planetarily,
Laura & Gil
Our friends Laura & Gil Richardson are, in their own words, “imperfect” but they are much further down this Planetarian path than anyone I know. They are a treasure trove of sustainable living inspiration and we’ve asked them to share one simple swap per week that they’ve made (and the products they love) in hopes it might inspire you to make them, too.
