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 was made a beautiful shepherd’s pie. Had no salt in the mashed potatoes on top. May as well have poured water over the mince. Shame. Looked so nice.

Yes to me “seasoning” is the spice/herb rack. Not just salt.

i was in the US recently. I was permanently thirsty because I am not used to the amount of salt used in food. I don’t normally need to carry a water bottle everywhere but started to as found I was having stop and buy drinks constantly.

It’s an offensive stereotype

I never add any salt to cooking, but always on the table and we rarely use it. How much people like is up to them so add it later. I couldn't eat any potatoes without salt though, yuck!

Maybe it's a cultural thing, I saw this the other day:

https://youtube.com/shorts/NRHT8Pgj0Ws?si=-vfognsfgpgTTU35

Why ‘barbaric’? Is it dangerous in some way?

The salt is in the soy sauce though, so to also add salt would double up on the salt. So many of the sauces and condiments mentioned on the thread are salty to some degree. To say you don’t use salt, but season with soy sauce, fish sauce, miso etc is disingenuous - the salt is still there flavouring the dish.

Inspired to have a quick google and indeed the incidence of kidney disease is much higher in the US.

So what I meant by that was eg a croustade where there is a baked base of cheese, nuts and breadcrumbs with a creamy topping of some sort, not a meal made of actual cheese (which I agree would be amazing).

Genuinely wondering is there an exact science to how much seasoning to use so that everyone on the planet likes it?

When I was growing up my mum used to have a decoy oxo tin in her kitchen so my granny would think she actually cooked with it!

I don’t salt our food, we used to pre-kids but stopped when they were weaning snd never when back. When MIL comes for dinner she doesn’t even taste the food before chucking about 1lbsp of salt on her meal. I find hers too salty. Surely it’s healthier without the salt.

What was the purpose of your goady post, which is offensive and completely untrue?

I am very tempted to ask why you came to live here if the food is so awful, but it might get me deleted.

All my British friends are excellent cooks and don't just cook bland, dull food. You clearly have friends who can't cook.

It’s always nice to be asked to someone’s house for a meal but yep, I’m suprised at people who serve up food without tasting it first. I love cooking and getting flavours right and like you, have been served lots of meals with no seasoning (or if I’m honest) not much taste at all. I’m always grateful for the invite but yep, I do wish salt was on offer!

Well said. I can’t deal with pepper or spices of any kind but that’s because I’m autistic, not because I am Caucasian.

(I do however drown everything in salt and vinegar)

I use lots of different seasonings, but very little salt. I basically add it to egg and tomato at the table. Oh and chips 😁

Other people’s food tastes actively salty now, and I’ve been wondering about tv chefs who use lots of salt. If your palate adjusts, then you’ll over salt for those who no longer use it.

I wouldn’t salt salmon.

I love hosting, and when I do I make sure that I am catering to the guests' likes.

I cook a lot of Indian food as we and all of our friends like it. I can assure you that my food is not bland.

How do you know when it tastes ‘right’? Do people not find different tastes ‘right’? I am not being goady but presumably you mean it tastes like you feel it should? I’m always curious when watching cooking shows about things like that! 😀

But seasoning isn't just about salt. I don't put salt in vegetable water either, but I use plenty of herbs and spices in my cooking.

I’ve noticed a lot of restaurants don’t have salt and pepper on the table anymore - I feel like I have to ask for it more than I used to. I am a salt super fan.

My MIL cooks really bland unseasoned food, always had. Think a kind of mince bolognese type sauce but with just mince and onions, no seasoning, no garlic. Bloody horrible and tasteless.

Once I was in the supermarket with her and I asked her to get me a clove of garlic and she didn't know what it looked like. I was 😳at her.

My DM is the absolute opposite, a brilliant cook, very competent. I'm glad I've always eaten her cuisine and not the boiled cabbage of my MIL! 😳😅

But if you marinade salmon in soy sauce, for example, you would be adding salt, same for fish sauce, shrimp paste, siracha and just about every other condiment used in marinades.

We never use salt in cooking ( except scrambled eggs for some reason) and don’t find our food dull in fact, when food has been salted, the only flavour I can taste is salt. We often get Charlie Bigham’s fish pie for an easy treat and I find that is a bit on the salty side for me. Salt is also contra indicated for my high blood pressure.

What annoys me is the assumption that other people’s preferences are wrong, like the poster who could cry for the way someone cooks their own chicken. I don’t add a lot of salt to my food (although I did to my egg mayo I had for lunch). I’d offer salt and pepper and wouldn’t be offended if I forgot and someone asked. Some people like salty food, some people prefer it without. All is fine- just because you personally have a preference doesn’t make that the right choice.

That is sad to be served such bland food. If people are eating with me I do put the salt and pepper on the table even though I’m fairly confident I’ve seasoned it plenty.

I do get annoyed with my mother who chucks salt on her food in abundance before even tasting it. What a way to ruin a good meal. She loves her food extra salty.