Unseasoned food

I add salt while cooking but much less than my parents did so for my mum my dishes would feel unsalted. So I wonder if it’s something like this. I added spices but again a little bit so for someone who was used to Indian food my cooking would be very bland.

I wouldn’t be offended if you asked for salt. If you asked for pepper/ curry sauce or similar I wouldn’t be offended but I would think that my cooking was not for you and would offer to meet up somewhere for coffee next time.

I hate bland food.

My mum is the queen of bland food, in the summer you can guarantee she’ll make boiled potatoes, and serve them with plain homemade coleslaw, salad leaves and two plain boiled eggs. If she’s feeling a bit wild she’ll add some red peppers.

The thing is if she goes out she’ll avoid bland like the plague, so I just don’t get it! If I served her something underseasoned she would certainly have something to say about it.

Yes, people really dont understand the role of salt. Its not to make things 'salty', its to enhance the flavour that is already there

My OH is like this, wont use salt, really doesnt know how to cook or flavour food.

Yep love salt.

If by horrible horrible mistake I buy unsalted butter, I have to put salt on the butter even if I then have jam on top of that.

If you don't add salt to the cooking water for vegetable, osmosis causes the natural salts and minerals contained in the vegetable to leech into the cooking water. Salting the water appropriately avoids this.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat explains it all really well, I recommend it.

I grew up in the 80’s but we never had salt and pepper on the table. (I knew it was something people did, just not in our house). My mum used to salt the water for veg and potatoes, but that was it.
I stopped adding salt or pepper to cooking water for veg or potatoes about 25 years ago and have never noticed the difference to be honest. Roast potatoes have plenty of flavour from the meat juices etc without added salt once in the plate. I don’t add any extra flavouring to a roast at all!
I add pepper and other herbs/spices to various meals but never salt as we have plenty of that in our diet from other sources.
I do believe it’s a case of what your taste buds are used to. If you’re used to everything tasting salty then that’s what you expect, whereas other herbs etc give different types of flavours.
I’d never even think of putting salt and pepper mills on the table but wouldn’t be offended if someone asked for them as I know that’s what lots of people are used to.
I only ever (very rarely) put salt on my chips!

I am a non seasoner, I do like to add black to lots of my meals after they are cooked.

I think your taste buds are trained to what you are used to. I put not being about to eat a meal without adding salt in the same camp as not being able eat a meal without tomato ketchup.

My mother wouldn't have countenanced anything wholemeal. It might have tasted a bit too much like something.

Things she wouldn't allow;

Salt
Pepper
Chilli
Spices
Herbs
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Vinegar
Fat
Oil unless it was ancient sunflower oil that had been used at least 10 times
Butter. Extra Extra Diet Low margarine was a vague concession to the eldest child
Anything over a 1 in cheese, but that Philadelphia extra extra low fat could be a bit spicy, as could Edam
Egg wash. Brush over pastry made with no salt with some watered down milk and that was just the same, apparently.
Unadulterated milk. Even when reducing the 'heat' of tomato soup with milk, the milk had to have extra water added.
Raw vegetables (other than a billiard ball orange tomato, cucumber or a still wet Iceberg).
Anything smoked.
Anything browned unless it was the cheapest possible sausages in existence, where after soaking in water, they were cremated to 'kill the worms'.
Anything that didn't say 'DIET'.

Her idea of bacon was to get unsmoked, soak it overnight in a mixture of water and some milk, wash it under the tap, soak for another 2 hours in a milk mix, then wave it under the grill for 2 minutes before putting the flaccid strips onto a slice of white to soak up the warmish milk.

She always resented the way I was such a 'faddy eater' but that would miraculously disappear the moment somebody else was cooking. Also deeply resented the frequency with which I'd keel over in hot weather, complain of massive headaches and get cramp as soon as the sun came out.

YANBU. Always put salt and pepper on food, not a ton of salt but just enough it brings out the flavour. Always keep salt pepper, oil and balsamic vinegar on the table. I thought everyone did this!
imagine how boring eggs would be without a pinch of salt.

I grew up in the 80s, nothing was salted (or sweetened) and it was almost always wholemeal and joyless.

I don’t routinely add salt and pepper in cooking - but it is on the table .i do use a lot of other herbs and spices . Always somewhat surprised when people salt and pepper before they’ve even tasted something though .

Fair enough. Seems like a massive waste of time and effort but just shows people are different!

Get yourself a set of these, OP, and pop them in your handbag!

Mini salt and pepper grinders

My MIL doesn't season anything and her food is appallingly bland, but even she puts salt and pepper on the table (thank God!).

They could save themselves the hassle - I would see that as a waste of food and ingredients and time if you don’t care about the food 🤣

Your friends must be fascinating 🤣

Wouldn't they? People talk a lot about loving cooking and hosting and I always appreciate when anyone has gone to lots of effort. Doesn't make it a significantly more or less pleasurable experience to eat though!

If I've ever been asked what I would like I've always been clear I am happy with anything and not to go to any trouble but if someone likes cooking and takes pleasure in providing I'm not going to put them off.

I would happily eat gourmet food from all round the world every night cooked by a private chef if it was an option. Or I could eat pasta and pesto every day for the next year and aside from the health implications not really be bothered.

Oh yes, but I only use soy sauce in specific dishes. In fact I don’t use siracha, fish sauce, soy often.
More cinnamon, ginger, 5 spice, juniper and bay.
If there’s one salty ingredient, then I don’t use another. I wouldn’t salt a dish with cheese or bacon.
I don’t use stock cubes (salt) unless I’m desperate. I make stock from carcasses and veg scraps, no salt.

All spice is a great seasoning for meat. It’s incredible on pork shoulder or ham (obviously that’s already salted).

I hardly ever use actual salt, and am very conscious of it when eating out. Your palate just adjusts.

Maybe it’s me but I think that’s quite odd. Not being bothered about what’s served up even though it could be a two minute job or an all day task? Do you tell your friends that? Because most people wouldn’t bother doing anything with any effort in that case!

I like pretty much all food but it isn't massively important to me. If someone invites me over and they have provided a 4 course, carefully crafted meal or a one pot one course meal or a takeaway or whatever I will almost certainly enjoy it all but not take that much notice of what I'm served.

I don't ask anyone to cook for me, I assume those that give invitations to dinner enjoy doing so. I can't make myself care more about food than I do ao I don't see how it could be rude to just enjoy it and be polite.

‘Thanks for inviting me. The food that you spent ages planning, preparing and cooking was probably okay but I can’t say I really noticed.’🤣