Unseasoned food

I haven’t boiled a vegetable in years, I only ever steam them, so salt gets added later if at all. We eat plenty of cheese based meals though so we get a fair amount of salt that way. Salt and pepper are always on the table. Sauces, however, aren’t.

Personal preference. Salt and pepper should definitely be on the table.
you can’t undo salt and pepper once they’re on the food. Hence why I hate it when theres too much, or when a chef thinks they know what level of seasoning you want.
i don’t really eat much salt or pepper but my husband does. It’s so simple - just let people do their own.

Oh and most people (particularly on MN) seem to think they are excellent chefs and season everything perfectly and get offended if you dare imply you want salt etc, when in reality seasoning is down to individual taste.

Part of the reason I don’t eat at other people’s houses.

YABU for moaning about a meal someone has cooked for you, especially if it’s only bland and not actively disgusting. Be effusive and grateful. I hate people who moan about food. It ruins the meal for people who are enjoying it. Eating together is about community, good conversation and caring for each other. The food is the least important part.

Also, just ask for salt if you want it.

Surely it better to let people season their own food how they like it? That seems to be the easiest way

Ah another vinegar fan!

Not garlic though - nothing worse than working with people who eat garlic all the time!

British food has suffered since the "salt is bad" message went out. Not eating salty processed food all the time is healthy, never putting salt in home cooking is odd. It's one of the five tastes, why wouldn't you use it, even if it's not to the same extent as the post war salting of tough vegetables? I still prefer my cooked carrots salted, I must confess.

Now that would be considered racist, go figure.

It's racism.

I think the implication is that food from many other (non European) cultures tends to include a lot of strong flavours such as chilli, soy sauce, garlic, ginger etc, making specific addition of salt less relevant. Something like a plain boiled potato, which arguably needs salt added, wouldn't really be a thing in these cultures.

Yes, I'm sure it's meant to be an insult because it's fine to lump all the millions of white people in the world together and assume they only eat bland food. Is enjoying spicy food Basic Black People'ing?

I salt everything. I hate herbs and spices on most things (and can’t eat anything that has had pepper in it because I can taste it) and I prefer to put my salt (and usually vinegar) on. But I’m AuDHD so odd about food.

Pre-packaged food contains no where near as much salt as it used to. Baked beans, tomato soup, ketchup are really low now. Even crisps. When abroad can get beautiful salty crisps.
Not rude to ask for basic condiments. Not as you are asking for moonlight harvested single batch estate sea salt.

A home without salt is just not in my books.
Salt in my home is for eating cleaning and the odd medical emergency.

My relative brought up her children not to add salt, so when we went for lunch e.g. a roast there was no salt on the table and everything seemed bland. I asked for salt, it was reluctantly provided, and the kids got excited and wanted to add it too. So I didn't ask again as I felt disapproved of. It was clear the kids were used to adding salt when not at home.

The amount of gravy I like on a roast dinner usually sorts me for salt intake. 😆

I can't really add it to cooking as my husband has chronic hypertension and needs to cut down on sodium. But I always have the salt and pepper grinders in the table.

I think it’s meant to be an insult but it’s so stupid I cannot be sure.

It's a actually healthier to add salt at the table rather than in the cooking process as 'surface salt' on the food impacts a much saltier taste than when used in cooking, so much less salt is needed to give the same flavour enhancement.

I mean it's not how I would choose to cook chicken but I have done it that way occasionally for young children or the dog and it's fine. It tastes of chicken by itself. It's not an enhanced taste and not how I would leave it for myself but it's not tasteless.

WTF is Basic White People'ing?

I always use salt in my cooking, it enhances the flavours of everything else. I really couldn’t be doing with plain chicken, potatoes and vegetables - food is a pleasure as well as fuel and well cooked, well seasoned food is a joy. I do provide salt and pepper at the table because tastes vary but the food comes to the table seasoned.

I also grew up on the 80s and thank the gods of becoming a young adult in the 90s that i was able to manage my own foods. I absolutely hate salted food, I don’t taste ‘enhanced’ I taste salt - I like my food to taste exactly as it does unseasoned. I don’t really know why anyone else cares tbh. You do you and all.

I would always expect S&P on the table and would always provide it. I season everything too, it’s weird to see unseasoned food. I found out the other day that my friend cooks his (unseasoned) chicken by boiling it and I wanted to cry for him🤣

salt & pepper is down to preference. I don’t use a lot of it as I have small children but often add my own to certain dishes after cooking

'Seasoned beautifully' for you and your friends but that's because you all have similar tastes.

Once person's 'beautifully' can be another person's 'under seasoned' or 'over seasoned'.

There are no rules when it comes to personal taste.