to not understand covering food in salt before youve even tasted it

[asteri]

ok so I know this is a little trivial but at the weeikend DH and I went out for dinner with some old friends and it surprised me the amount of people who, as soon as their dinner arrived just started piling salt on it, then we had some of his footie friends over last night and a few did the same. How do yo know if food needs salt before you even taste it?

just on potato & some vegetables
would add it to the rest later but with a toddler & an 8 mo I tend to forget/just count myself lucky to eat before the screaming starts

I hardly put any salt in my cooking, for DC's and DH's benefit but I do love salt so always put it on my food, I usually put it on food I haven't cooked out of habit.

It's just a habit. Common for older folk particularly. Think food was less flavoursome in the olden days!

YANBU

Surely you should always taste restaurant food first - what if it's already got loads of salt (it usually does), and then you add some and make it too salty? Then you've just ruined a perfectly good meal.

I pretty much always add salt to my dinner.

I also salt when I cook. How can you eat unsalted potatoes or pasta? They need salt imo.

One anomaly is I use unsalted butter - I can't bear salty butter.

Salt really adds something. Have you ever tried salty peanuts with chocolate? It is absolutely bloody lovely.

I am a salt ponce though. I always use Maldon salt at home and would never in a million yearsuse Saxa or whatever it is called. I have no idea why (I blame Nigella).

Very bad manners to chuck a load of salt over a meal before tasting it.

DH used to do it but doesn't any more. Well not usually.

FIL coats his food so liberally you can see an actual crust of it on the food you have so lovingly and carefully cooked. But, that's his prerogative. It would be bad mannered of me to refuse him salt.

Weirdly, I sometimes put salt on my own food halfway through eating. I don't know why....

There is a school of thought that says that a small amount of salt actually enhances the flavour of food and indeed I've seen salt (a pinch of) being put in some sweet dishes. I find that alittle strange.

Me too GOML.

I tried that low sodium shit once.

RUBBISH!

Why is it bad manners for someone to add salt to their dinner?

I don;t understand that. If their personal preference is for salty food why should that offend anyone?

My FIL loves spicy food. Whenever he comes for dinner he has to be provided with chilli powder. Even if I have cooked a very hot madras he covers it. He has to have all food spicy.

I don't take offense. He is 74 and he can do what he likes!

My parents used to do that in the seventies. I'd hear "put some salt on it" when food was too hot so often that I thought for years that salt cooled the food

My wonderful adorable MIL shakes salt for what seems like 20 mins over her food, until there is a liberal dusting coating over her food. She does not taste it prior to doing this. Aaargh. FIL will not use proper salt only Saxa which he calls proper salt. Mealtimes are like a warzone . FIL will eat everything on the plate though (even if I've cooked and I'm terrible)

I cover my food in salt. Nothing is ever salty enough for me.

I carry my own litte bag of salt around with me as I have found so many people/resteraunts don't have salt on the table and I can't be arsed with people getting shirty as I haven't tried it first before I ask for salt. It will never be salty enough for me!

I don't agree that potatoes or pasta need salt. I think they taste of potatoes or pasta. If you add salt they taste like salty potatoes, or salty pasta. Which is fine if you like salty potatoes or pasta, but I don't. I hate eating veg that has been cooked in salty water.

I don't even put salt on chips - or crisps, I buy those salt'n'shake ones and don't add the salt. I find Ready Salted crisps really salty (especially ones like Walkers, the lightly salted types aren't so bad).

It is a real bug bare of mine tbh and it really insults me when people do it to the food I have cooked. I don't mind them adding it after but to drown it in salt first, they cannot taste the food that is underneath. I am not talking a little bit on potatoes either. My mil gets a FISTFUL from my rock salt pot and throws it all over her food. You can see it all disolving on the top, makes me feel sick.

I get round it now by putting lots of salt on it in the kitchen for the salt heads to then lace it with more at the table and they then have to sit and eat it

Some people might as well just have a plate of bloody salt without the rest of the food.

we are creatures of habit.
YANBU to be aiming for modernisation & change of this dreadful habit

Is it a British thing, adding salt without tasting? Or do people in other countries do it often too?

Because it makes them taste of salt instead of chips! And bleeeuuurrggghh to vinegar!

OOh yes vinegar on chips

The whole insulting to the cook thing, is really a bit precious isn't it?

It seems odd to me to salt something before trying tbh.

Other than potatoes!

Mmmmmmmmmm, salt...

It's not an insult to the cook, IMO. Salt is to bring out flavours. It's a seasoning.

We have a friend who doesn't cook with salt but doesn't make up for it by using herbs/spices and then there is no salt on the table. Verrrrrrry bland, imo. Fine for LOs but not grown ups. I WANT hardened arteries and high blood pressure!

I am not saying that people should not have salt. I am saying that they should taste it first. How do you know if the dish needs extra seasoning if you have not tasted it first. Should have written that in the first place.