Unseasoned food

[ChangeAgainAgainAgain]

I've eaten at a few other people's houses in the last couple of months, and I've really noticed the absence of seasoning, and no salt or pepper mills on the table.

I grew up in the 80's, where salt was added in cooking to everything, so obviously it's great for health that we're no longer adding salt to vegetable water etc.

I don't generally add salt to cooking, but I always put salt and pepper mills on the table, and would generally add some to my plate.

I've recently been served meals such as grilled salmon, boiled baby potatoes, steamed veg, with no seasoning, no herbs, not even butter or EVOO on the potatoes. Or a roast dinner, no seasoning added in cooking at all, not even on the potatoes. No salt and pepper mills on the table. Honestly to me, these meals taste super bland.

Now, I'm an old fogie, and the people hosting me have been various ages, but all younger than me. Is this just how it is now? People's palates have changed?

So, AIBU to say that whilst not adding excessive salt in cooking is a great thing for health, it's normal/polite to have salt and pepper mills on the table?

IANBU - bring on the salt and pepper
IABU - times have changed. Cruet sets have no place in the modern world!

I wouldn't be able to eat it without. So I'd have to ask for some. I don't know what I'd do if they said they didn't keep it in the house?!

To me food only tastes of itself if it's salted!

Unseasoned, bland tasteless food isn’t an age thing, need to visit some friends/family who can cook and enjoy their food tasting of something

If you want to enjoy your food, it needs to be seasoned, preferably as it cooks rather than using a cruet set.
If you just use food to sustain you and remain healthy, no seasoning is fine. Dull but fine.

We never put salt and pepper on the table although it’s available if someone wants.

We do however season our food whilst cooking with herbs, spices and salt as needed. We tend to use a lot more seasoning now than growing up. My parents only used salt and pepper. We use everything from fresh herbs, soy, miso, spices, ginger etc so food is generally much more flavoursome at home and out and about.

Dh mother over salts everything imo. She will automatically add salt without even tasting first which I find really bizarre, even at her own house, in restaurants etc. when we asked her if the food was unseasoned in a restaurant once as he hadn’t even tasted she tried first and was like ‘ oh it’s actually nice without’.. but still usually salts everything which I find bizarre as she has no idea if it’s already over salted.

Yes friends and family. It seems rather rude to ask for salt and pepper if it's not offered or on the table, though. Kind of pointing out that their cooking is super bland.

I'm in my mid-fifties and used to put salt in and on everything.

Since I stopped about 10 years ago, I'm shocked at how salty so many dishes taste. I guess my taste buds have adjusted?

Having said that, I always put salt and pepper on the table for guests as we all have different tastes.

(Don't put salt on porridge btw - see relevant thread).
Otherwise, yes OP, I agree. Black pepper is necessary on most savoury food.

I always add salt whilst cooking, rarely after. It just doesn't taste the same when added afterwards.
Salt is awesome.

See I'll never understand this attitude given that different people have different tastes.

If someone put salt on a dish I'd cooked, I'd hardly even notice - let alone take it personally and think they were saying my food was 'bland'.

It's not all about me.

You don't put salt in vegetable water? Gosh, I didn't realise that was a thing.

I season all the food I cook.

I prefer to get flavour from sauces than from salt and pepper which are pretty basic flavour wise. So, the roast dinners you cite, I’d have horseradish sauce or mint sauce or mustard or whatever. The grilled salmon would be flavoured with lemon juice and I’d probably have a dollop of mayo on the potatoes. Salt and pepper aren’t going to cut the mustard 😀

I rarely add salt to cooking as I prefer to use ingredients that do that naturally. I gave up adding salt about 30 years ago.

There are a few exceptions (pasta water has a bit of salt in, etc).

Would have salt / pepper available for guests.

I carry my own hot sauce packets in my purse.

I don't like bland food.

We keep salt and pepper and a couple bottles of hot sauce on the table.

I season food when cooking but would never add salt or pepper afterwards but that’s because it’s cooked with flavour so it’s not needed. I do put cracked black pepper on my scrambled eggs though if I forget to add when cooking

That would have been fine (although I'd still have liked salt on the roast potatoes). The two meals I'm talking about were just plain, not flavoured at all.

I don't use salt to cook and don't put salt on to eat. I don't know anyone who cooks with salt any more.

However, I always tell guests that there is no salt in the food so feel free to add their own. Older guests don't - usually looking after their blood pressure. My daughter salts everything...and that's her choice.

Salty food is rank now my tastebuds have changed! All I can taste is the salt.

I like both!

I have a pepper grinder in the kitchen and seasalt in a saltpig by the hob. I never put it on the table, don't own a salt and pepper shaker. Is this rude?

I wonder if part of it is a drop off in the formality of dining? People not being used to setting the table like they used to. And food has got more interesting in terms of herbs, spices etc, meaning a bit less need for added salt at the table. But yes, it frutrates me when they aren't there. Although I'm not being served meals as plain as the ones you describe.

If I had guests I would definitely put the peppermill on the table and some of the salt in a tiny bowl. How much salt is very much a matter of individual taste.

I also add loads of pepper at the table ... before tasting it, as I know it won't be enough even if it has been added.

Also add a lot of tabasco or chilli flakes to food ... most people I know don't do particularly hot chillies or curries and I like them really hot.

Why didn't you just ask for salt and pepper? That would have been the obvious solution.

There's very little savoury food that I don't put salt on so I always just ask if it's not provided, because I'm not going to enjoy the meal without it.

I add lots seasoning to cooking but we generally don’t have salt and pepper on the table to add more with the exception of chips.
I don’t like bland food but most of what I cook doesn’t need more salt and pepper.

I’d put it out for guests though.

Seasonings beyond salt and pepper exist too - I have a cupboard absolutely full of spices, herbs, sauces and other condiments to make my food taste good. Boiled, bland, unseasoned food is peak Basic White People’ing 😄

I don't add salt to anything I cook or at the table other than chips! But I do add pepper and various herbs and spices to cooking.

Would usually remember to put salt and pepper on the table for guests but might forget and wouldn't be offended by being asked.

My parents are the same. Always used a big variety of herbs and spices but rarely salt. PIL puts a big heap of salt on his plate and dips everything in it.