Flavorful Approaches to Slashing Sodium

By Molly McGrath and Judy Hsu, Contributing Editors

The increasing level of sodium in Americans diets continues to be a growing concern to many. High dietary sodium levels may lead to increased risk of heart attack, heart disease and stroke. How can we mitigate this risk? For many, the answer is simple: reduce our sodium intakespecifically to less than 2,300 mg per day for the average person, according to the USDAs most-recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

While this may seem a simple directive, it is no secret that from a culinary standpoint it can be quite difficult to cut salt from our food. Our palates have become accustomed to high-sodium foods, with most Americans correlating salt with flavorand people crave it.

Eliminating salt entirely is not a real solution as people simply would not eat such foodsand, as previously mentioned, it plays a functional role in foods (and sodium is essential in small amounts every day). However, there is hope for product and menu designers looking to cut sodium levels. A number of culinary flavor techniques can provide ways of sidestepping the need for high levels of sodium to enhance flavor.

Multifaceted Maillard

Caramelization allows us to create new flavor building blocks independent of salt. Caramelization occurs when the sugar in foods is heated and transformed. The more the sugar is cooked, the less sweet and more multifaceted the flavor becomes.

While the benefits of this are obvious when it comes to candy making and other sweet uses, it is also relevant for savory applications. For example, butter is delicious on its own, but by melting it and letting it warm to the point of browning, we are able to create something that is more savory and complex than its original form. It now has notes of acidity and bitterness, as well as a pleasant, toasty aroma. This caramelization of carbohydrates in conjunction with an amino acid is called the Maillard reaction.

The Maillard reaction can be achieved by using dry" cooking techniques such as grilling, baking and frying. Dry/wet" techniques, such as braising, can lead to even richer, more-complex flavors. In fact, slow-cooking solutions that contain any form of sugar can caramelize. This is exactly how we get rich, deep-flavored demi-glace from slow-simmered stocks.

Get off to a good start

Nearly every culture has its own way of starting off dishes with a blend of aromatic ingredients that kick off" the flavor-building process in its signature dishesand we can use this technique to make us less reliant on salt. Probably the most-familiar example of this technique is French mirepoix. Typically, the selected ingredients, such as carrots, celery and onionthe classic French combinationare diced and sautéed to develop flavor and set the foundation for an assortment of applications, including soups, stocks and sauces. The process of sautéing the ingredients in butter or oil unleashes the power of the Maillard reaction.

Variations on these flavor bases abound. Depending on the dish in question, chefs will add other ingredients to steer the flavor profile. French mirepoix is a building block of classic boeuf bourguignon, while Spanish sofrito is indispensible to paella. A Puerto Rican take on sofrito can be used to accent chicken, pork or seafood in pasteles, masa-based dough with savory fillings wrapped in banana leaves and boiled.

Spice it up

Probably the most straightforward way of introducing flavor into dishes is the direct application of herbs and spices. However, theres more to this than simply adding them to foods. There are ways in which we can maximize these ingredients flavor potential.

Dry versus fresh. There are pros and cons of using dry versus fresh herbs and spices. In most processing situations, dried product works just fine and is more cost-effective than fresh. Dried products are well suited to longer exposures to heat, making them good for slow-cooking methods such as simmering or braising.

Fresh herbs and spices have their uses, toobut typically only in foodservice situations. Fresh product provides brighter" flavor than dried. It is best to incorporate these items at the end of the cooking process, maximizing diners opportunity to experience the aromas before they dissipate into the air.

Raw versus cooked. Cooking herbs and spices prior to incorporation into a dish is a classic way of maximizing flavor. For example, toasting whole spices in a dry pan will result in a differentalbeit more-subdued (some essential oils are lost to the air)flavor. Frying powdered spices in combination with fresh aromatics, such as garlic, onions or gingeroften done in the creation of mirepoix and sofritoallows for the different essential oils to interact with one another and create a distinct flavor profile. Take this one step further and actually let the spices begin to caramelize in the oil, and youll have a flavor that is deep and complex.

Other spice, herb and seasoning options include oleoresins (liquid extracts) and individually quick-frozen (IQF) ingredients. Both offer great consistency in flavor, as well as easy storage and handling. IQF herbs offer the same flavor brightness of fresh herbs, but with the added benefit of a longer shelf life.

Make salt count

Using some salt is unavoidable. However, what we can control is the type of salts we use and way we use them. While it makes little difference what type of salt we use during the cooking process, we do have the power make salt work harder with the types we choose to finish with. Often, we can create the illusion of added saltiness by garnishing with salt, making it the first thing to hit our tongues, creating a halo effect for the rest of the dish.

It has been generally proven that specialty salts do not vary in their inherent saltiness. However, what they do have to offer are nuanced flavor profiles, as well as different melt rates and textures. Depending on their source and how theyre processed, rock and sea salts can contain minerals that lend themselves to briny, earthy or even meaty flavors. Also, the crystal structure of these salts can contribute to a unique taste experience. Depending on the shape of the granules, salt will dissolve differently on the tongue and lead to different perceived levels of pungency or sharpness of flavor. Salts shape can also create a unique textural experience when bitten. Salt can come in flakes (Maldon salt), coarse particles (sel gris, or gray salt), or even delicate pyramids (Alberger) that break apart and dissolve evenly across the palate.

Using salt in food preparation is a necessary evil, and just how much is OK will continue to be a hot topic for years to come. However, as food providers, we have the powerand perhaps the responsibilityto reduce Americans dependency on salt by taking the necessary steps to cut overall sodium levels in our food system over time.

Molly McGrath is a chef and project manager at The Culinary Edge, San Francisco, a consulting group dedicated to providing restaurants and food companies with branding, culinary and operational solutions. McGrath is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She is also a member of the Research Chefs Association. Judy Hsu is a consumer research specialist at The Culinary Edge. Hsu holds a culinary degree from Kendall College in Chicago. For more information, visit theculinaryedge.com.

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