Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/90978
About 1,500 miles north, the swings in Like terroir, a term used to describe wines, cheeses and other earth-influenced foods, some saltmakers are adopting the term merroir, or the influence of the sea, originally coined to highlight how the chemical and biological composition of water can create varying flavors in oysters. Lab's Hawaiian Sea Salt Tasting Collection offers 11 varieties and is a store best seller. Awareness of other domestic salts is growing as hand-harvested products from all corners of the country build solid reputations. "[The U.S.] is where the cutting edge is," Bitterman acknowledges. And with consum- ers' current fervor for local foods, the U.S. artisanal sea salt market is poised to benefit. Ben Jacobsen, founder of Jacobsen Salt Co. in Portland, Ore., is one saltmaker concentrating on specific waters. His salt- making career began unexpectedly on a fruitless crab-fishing trip on the coastal waters of Netarts Bay in Northern Oregon. Rather than come home empty-handed, Jacobsen collected salt water and decided to try his hand at making culinary salt. What started as a hobby has turned into a growing, thriving business. Though Jacobsen's first clients were a couple of local chef friends, it wasn't until Portland's New Seasons Market showed interest that he began to build the busi- ness. Now, his hand-harvested Netarts Bay salt is being used in restaurants both locally, such as Portland's Irving Street Kitchen, and as far as Northern Spy Food Co. in New York. The salt has the appearance of shaved ice and a sweet, clean taste with a briny finish that lends itself to a variety of foods. "I wanted something that can stand up to food, has a crunch and is approachable so peo- ple can identify with it," Jacobsen says. Along the East Coast, unique salts are being harvested from the lower Florida Keys to the south shore of New York's Long Island. In Florida, wife-and-husband team NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 51 Midge Jolly and Tom Weyant of Florida Keys Sea Salt are harvesting and solar-evap- orating salt that has a pure, light and briny taste. "All of our salt harvests are identified by evaporation phase, date of actual harvest, season, and in some cases number of days from collection of seawater to harvest of sea salt," says Jolly. Providing the details of day- to-day salt farming, Jolly notes, connects the customer to the practice in a way that allows them to have a deeper understanding and connection to their food. "People want to feel that there is something about their food that they can identify with that is not commercial," she adds. Seattle Chocolate's San Juan Sea Salt chocolate bar (left) showcases complementary local ingredients, while New York's Filling Station sprinkles Espresso Salt on ice cream (right). temperature in Eastern Long Island and the plankton and algae found there contribute to the distinct tastes of Amagansett Sea Salt Company's products. "Our salt is evaporat- ing at different speeds, allowing for different flavors to develop," says Steven Judelson, who co-owns the company with his wife, Natalie. Judelson has both summer and winter salt harvests. He describes the summer salts to have a crisp, clean, almost sweet flavor, while the winter harvest is more full, possessing a "beefier" character. "If people think of salt as a seasoning rather than an ingredient, the subtle differences could be off-putting," he notes. "However, more customers are get- ting it and appreciate the flavor differences. Chefs are starting to hold out for colder- month salt for its heartiness." Four years ago, Amagansett supplied salts to six restaurants; today, around 50, including Eleven Madison Park in New York. Local appeal plays a role in show- casing complementary ingredients. Seattle