If you've been to Rastall's this year, you may have noticed the newest addition to the cafe: finishing salts. Students from all corners of campus flock to Worner just to get a taste of these delicious additions to the Colorado College diet. Ranging from rosemary to bacon, the seasonings come in all flavors and colors.
As you can imagine, it is pretty difficult trying to navigate which salt pairs best with your fries, steak, or salad. Your choice of salt can either greatly enhance your dining experience or ruin your plate entirely. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount of decisions you now have to make, worry no more. This finishing salt bible is here to help you choose the best salt for your food and give you a fundamental understanding of what finishing salts truly are.
Lime
Rating: 2/5
Whenever you need a little extra zest with your salt, the lime finishing salt is a perfect choice. Unfortunately, the salt overwhelms the citrus and we were left feeling disappointed. Ideally, this flavor would work well with tortilla soups, beef pho bowls, seafood, and salads with a light dressing (such as herb vinigarette or olive oil). This salt, however, is better as an idea than a reality.
Truffle
Rating: 1/5
Although this salt was meant to taste like a mushroom, its aftertaste was most accurately described as "burning rubber." Any true finishing salt connoisseur would avoid this particular flavor at all costs. In a world of perfect finishing salts, it would be best with a rich protein, like beef stroganoff, or a strong soup with mushrooms or onions. Due to the unfortunate aftertaste, we recommend not using this salt unless you have a death wish for your tastebuds.
Rosemary
Rating: 3/5
Sweet and herbal, this salt is a solid choice for cruciferous vegetables, baked potatoes, and lighter proteins such as pork. Although the taste is mostly salty, the little bit of rosemary reinforces this salt as one of the better flavors Rastall has to offer.
Garlic
Rating: 5/5
True to its name, this salt boasts a pungent yet appetizing bite of garlic. Of all the finishing salts, garlic is definitely one of the most accurate flavor-wise. Add it to your pizza or fries to give them an extra boost of piquancy.
Habanero
Rating: 4/5
Habanero peppers are over 12 times hotter than a jalapeño, and are one of the hottest varieties of peppers. Sadly, the salt did not reflect the heat of the pepper, but it did capture a slight kick. This salt is perfect for any dish that needs an enjoyable hint of spice, such as curry, pasta, or a vegetable-based soup.
Bacon
Rating: 4/5
This salt is bacon us crazy. With a strong smoky flavor, the bacon finishing salt is perfect for adding to your baked potato, soup, eggs, or fries to give them a powerful new taste. Of all of the salts, this is one of the most accurate and truly encapsulates the essence of bacon.
Red Beet
Rating: 3/5
Although this variety of salt is a pinkish-purple color, the flavor just does not taste like beets. The slight tang at the end is not enough to overcome the strong salty taste. For all of you food photographers out there, however, the beet salt does add a vibrant color and can bring out the colors of your dish. If the beet flavor was stronger, this finishing salt would go well with salads or other vegetable-based dishes.
Orange
Rating: 2/5
While the name sounds appealing, sadly, the citrus flavor of this salt is covered up and not very present. It is enjoyable, but not exactly "orange"-flavored. The best pairing of this salt would be with a teriyaki-style dish, or a salad with a citrus vinaigrette. If you're truly wanting a strong orange flavor, you may want to opt for freshly squeezed oranges instead.
Lemon Pepper
Rating: 5/5
By far the best of the salts we tasted, the lemon pepper salt epitomizes what it means to truly be a finishing salt. With a slight bit of zest in the front and a kick of pepper at the end, this salt would make a delicious addition to vegetables, salads, soups, fish, and lighter proteins. Bon Appetit should strive to make all of their finishing salts this exciting and flavorful.
Ginger
Rating: 1/5
Like some of the other salts, the ginger just was not present in this flavor. If the finishing salt options overwhelm you and you're looking for a plain salt to add to your meal, the ginger salt is the choice for you. Ideally, a stronger, more flavorful version of this salt would be an excellent seasoning for fish, curries, and vegetables.
Although a lot of the salts did not live up to our expectations, there were a few hidden gems. The biggest downfall of Bon Appetit's seasonings was that they were not true to their nature and simply too monotonous. Because it is hard to compete the biting flavor of salt, I recommend instead that our hardworking chefs develop finishing ketchups. Not only easier to capture complex flavors, finishing ketchups would be more helpful in reducing our sodium intakes and overall promote a more healthy menu.