I’m a foodie.
All around.
And I would say that there is one ingredient in your cupboard (and mine) that is most important, and should never be forgotten, in just about every recipe, save a few.
Salt! It deepens savor, peaks sweet, and makes spice pop.
You can barely even taste curry or guacamole until you’ve added just the right amout.
Dark chocolate becomes heavenly with a kick of quality sea salt.
Back in the day you had the choice of iodize/uniodized fine table salt and possibly, if you were lucky, you could get your hands on some good sea salt.
Well, I’m happy to introduce you (and your inner foodie) to The Spice Lab.
They procure over 180 different varieties of salt from 30 countries, ranging from Africa to France, to the Pacific Ocean. They make salt bowls, salt plates, salt lamps, tea lites, and heck, if you want it, they’ll provide you a 50 pound stone of salt (The Himalayan variety).
(Are you excited yet?!)
I’m going to roll some fresh sushi and serve it on one of their chilled salt stones someday.
Promise.
I’ll invite you over.
Salt stones, which can also be carefully heated to delicately cook seafood, and other items.
Amazing, and so gorgeous.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on their Hawaiian Aloha Collection of gourmet salts, which made Oprah’s “O List”. The gourmet sea salt came housed in Pyrex glass test tubes with all natural corks, and a wooden base made from all recycled materials. Complete with a bamboo salt spoon, this gourmet sea salt collection is truley unique. They are hand crafted and no two are alike.
My absolute favorites were the Guava Wood Smoked Sea Salt (super smokey flavor- would be killer in a cheese ball [using a less salty variety of cheese, obviously], on a pizza, or with steak), and the Pink Passion Salt (lighter flavor- nice as a finishing salt on salad or fish).
For this pasta salad recipe I used the Hawaiian Bamboo Jade Fine Sea Salt. It paired very well with the Parmesan, veggies, and fresh basil:
And because these are true Hawaiian Sea Salts, and we are from Hawaii, I figured we should make a local dish. This is boiled taro root, with fresh coconut milk, simmered with onion, pepper, and Hawaiian Red Alaea Fine Sea Salt.
It was so tender and the salt brought out the flavors of the taro and coconut perfectly.
The Collection also includes Black Lava Salt (Fine), Gray Lava Salt (Fine), Pink Sunset Sea Salt (Coarse), Cabernet Sea Salt (Coarse), Balsamic Sea Salt (Coarse), Koloa Rum Sea Salt (Coarse), and Hickory Smoked Sea Salt (Coarse).
I’m truly impressed with the different intensely flavored varieties of sea salt they offer, and it opens up my recipes for much more versatility and enhancing of flavors and tones! (Secret ingredient, indeed!)
Accolades for The Spice Lab:
And to prove they know their salt, The Spice Lab won a 2012 Scovie Award, was a silver finalist for the 2012 Sofi Awards, and has been highlighted by Oprah, Huffpost Food, South Florida Business Journal, The Wall Street Journal Online, Los Angeles Confidential, The Local Palate, and more.
The Spice Lab stocks over 500 different gourmet salt items, as well as peppercorns, specialty peppers, and spice blends. They also offer free shipping on orders over $15.00.
To find out more about the different varieties of sea salt, bring out your inner savvy chef, and visit The Sea Salt Encyclopedia at www.saltoftheday.com.
To purchase from The Spice Lab go to www.amazon.com or www.thespicelab.com.
And now, you get the chance to win your own 4 salt tube collection! Just enter using the widget below!
Happy Spicing!
*I was not paid to write this post, but did receive The Spice Lab Aloha Collection of Gourmet Sea Salts to facilitate this review. Any and all opinions here are my own.
21 comments
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Claire
September 18, 2012 at 8:03 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I want to win
cheryl connolly
September 18, 2012 at 8:05 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
i would love to win these sea salts
caitlyn
September 18, 2012 at 8:18 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I definitely want to win!
Terri Moore
September 18, 2012 at 8:34 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I would love to win the Gourmet Sea Salts, love the variety and how cool looking the containers are too! thank you!
Jean Godwin
September 18, 2012 at 8:51 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
You made my mouth water with all the delicious descriptions. Would love to win the salts.
Auri Lae
September 19, 2012 at 9:42 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
These sound amazing! I’d love to win!
Stefanie Elysse Hurtado
September 19, 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I certainly want to win =] I love sea salt
Debbie Jackson
September 19, 2012 at 10:44 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I want to win
debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
Paula Lee
September 19, 2012 at 11:19 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Oh how I would love to win these!
Stephanie
September 19, 2012 at 1:37 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’d love to win!
mrshud@cox.net
Leann Lindeman
September 19, 2012 at 3:09 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Yes I want to win!!!!!!!!!!!!!
carol roberts
September 19, 2012 at 7:23 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
i really want to win
Wehaf
September 19, 2012 at 11:29 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’d love to win!
Allyson Bossie
September 20, 2012 at 12:36 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I would really really love to win these!
Allyson Bossie recently posted..Who wants to Win a New Blog Layout?
Cat Lake
September 20, 2012 at 3:57 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
After reading about what is in processed salt; I made a switch to sea salts! I would love to win a collection of salts.
Karen Medlin
September 20, 2012 at 7:08 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I wanna win!
Kris I.
September 22, 2012 at 9:51 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I would love to win this!!
Anna
September 24, 2012 at 4:15 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I would love to win
Teresa Moore
September 30, 2012 at 9:39 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I would love to win!
Lisa L
October 2, 2012 at 1:03 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I would love to win this!
trixx
October 2, 2012 at 2:27 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’d like to win!