Salty Dog

New York Times Article!

Salt Traders owner Didi Davis, was featured this past week in a New York Times article "Student Consultants Supply Fresh Insights to Businesses."

The Secret Life of...Salt!

Have a look...I was fortunate enough to be invited to appear on the food network's The Secret Life of...Salt.

Fierce Smoked Salt

Just wanted to share an article that appeared in Saveur Magazine...

Saveur Magazine, Issue No. 58, page 34

A Dane is rekindling interest in this forthright Viking condiment.

The Vikings, those fearsome Scandinavian warriors who struck terror into the hearts of other Europeans from the eighth century to the 11th, are remembered for many things, among them a formidable talent for shipbuilding, a penchant for maritime exploration, those distinctive two-horned helmets, the concept of Valhalla...On the other hand, they didn't leave much of a culinary legacy; but they did produce some pretty fierce smoked salt, essentially by boiling down sea water over a wood fire.

When the Vikings disappeared, so did their salt-making technique, and it took a millennium for this seasoning to be rediscovered. Modern-day descendants of the Vikings have been gathering in weekend camps since the late 1970s to engage in such ancient pastimes as toolmaking, leatherworking, and stone carving. At one such gathering 13 or so years ago, Bent Dahlin, a crafts teacher from Arhus, about 175 miles northwest of Copenhagen, reportedly became the first post-Viking to reproduce Viking-style salt. Having read about it in old books, Dahlin knew what the salt should look and taste like, but since he didn't have a recipe, his biggest challenge was choosing the woods needed to impart the right smoke quality. He eventually settled on a mix of juniper, oak, cherry, elm, and beech. The resulting salt tastes like a bonfire; its strong, haunting flavor is best enjoyed when the crystals are sprinkled on simple dishes like scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, and grilled steaks.

Dahlin's other passion is forging knives from iron particles found in Danish soil. Although the fruits of that labor aren't available in this country, his smoked salt, which he makes at the Viking camps each summer, is. Five years ago, Marianne Kronmark, a Danish jewelry importer based in France, began researching her own Viking heritage - which led her to Dahlin and his incredible salt. With the help of her brother Lars, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley, she introduced the salt to the chefs in the U.S. It's now sold exclusively through the Cooking School of Aspen at salttraders.com

- Kelly Alexander

We take pride!

We've been very fortunate to be able to offer our selection of gourmet salts to top restaurants and home kitchens around the globe and here are just some of the amazing things that have been written about our collection during this wonderful journey.

"A sprinkle of these rare, natural salts from the sea brings out the best (flavor, that is) in just about any food—even sweets."
—The New York Times Magazine

"The Next Gourmet Item: Salt."
—Time magazine

"Sea Salts Are the Food World's Latest Hot Commodity."
—Los Angeles Times Magazine

"I must admit that I am smitten by the taste of pure sea salts. I keep a few kinds in my kitchen cabinet and sprinkle a pinch on my food just as I am getting ready to serve it. The tiny bursts of crystalized saline on salads or roasted meats have an infinitely better quality than ordinary salt, or even kosher salt."
—Jamie Purviance, Food Writer

"I learned the hard way that some salts, mainly those that are purely iodized, can be unforgiving. But others, those that are delicately hand-harvested from the sea, have powers to awaken the palate and stimulate and unite flavors in dishes to an unimaginable degree."
—Specialty Food Magazine

"...in the highest reaches of gastronomy a revolution is taking place: the exaltation of exotic salts from the four corners of the world..."
—Forbes magazine

"In short, chefs and consumers alike have come to realize this is salt in its purest form."
—Endless Vacation magazine

"Exotic salts from around the world add color and flavor to your table."
—Chile Pepper magazine, October, 2005

The Kitchens of Biró

Salt Traders salts are a favorite of Master Chef Marcel Biró, as featured in his TOP 5 HOLIDAY GIFTS 2005. The salts are also featured frequently on his 26-episode series, The Kitchens of Biró. In fact, in just one dish, Chef Biró uses seven Salt Traders salts! Check out this recipe.

...gourmand gifts truly worth their salt. 

Combining the unrehearsed spontaneity of a reality series with the comprehensive culinary instruction of a traditional cooking show, The Kitchens of Biró is a 26-episode series that provides a candid, behind-the-scenes view into the restaurant, culinary school, and home kitchens of Marcel Biró and Shannon Kring Biró. A young couple dedicated to culinary excellence, the Birós and their staff allow viewers to share in their professional struggles, successes, and secrets, exposing the sacrifices and triumphs inherent in the culinary field.

Chile Pepper Magazine

In the October 2005 issue of Chile Pepper, an article entitled Salts of the Earth featured many of the salts we stock.

“Spicy salt combinations, like Salt Traders’ Margarita Salt… add heat and salinity at the same time, providing a double whammy of flavor for all kinds of dishes.”

“The smoldering intensity of Danish Viking-Smoked Sea Salt, prepared according to ancient tradition over an open blaze of juniper, cherry, elm, beech and oak, has made these explosively flavored glossy amber crystals a favorite seasoning among culinary professionals.”