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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 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.

It's racism.

Now that would be considered racist, go figure.

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.

Ah another vinegar fan!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

tbf it’s better to have less and add more rather than the other way round!!

Eating together is fine but if the food is rank then that kind of spoils things as you get into the ‘why haven’t you eaten that’ etc

I absolutely didn't moan at the table. I smiled, ate it and thanked my hosts profusely. I didn't ask for salt as to not offend my hosts, so I'm hardly the type to sit at the dinner table bitching about the food!🤣

Cheese based meals sound AMAZING 😬

I do add salt to my food (along with variety of seasonings depending on what I'm cooking) but
I also think that grilled salmon, potatoes and vegetables do have flavour without salt. Seasonings aren't the only foods with flavour and salmon/potatoes are generally tasty foods even without seasoning, they aren't wildly bland. It's just something I'd suck up if someone served to me.

Good quality veg & meat don't need extra seasoning. They are tasty as they are.

Salt is the only vice I have left. I pile it on everything.

See, I disagree. If I was having plain meat and veg, I would consider them tastier with added salt and pepper. But I grew up in the 80's when everything was heavily salted.

This "basic white person" has just made a rice salad seasoned with ginger, kaffir lime leaf, garlic, soy sauce and lime juice.

I don't like bland food either.

I do think it is rude not to have common condiments available for guests. They shouldn’t need to ask for common additions to meals.