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#Post#: 15520--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: gramma dishes
Date: October 6, 2018, 9:40 am
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My husband and I have noticed recently (in the past couple of
years) that the availability of salt almost seems like a
'bragging point' in some of the more upscale restaurants. A
sign near the salt shakers will proudly announce that the
contents are Some Famous Name SEA Salt. Sometimes the fact that
your table is equipped with Sea Salt is even proudly mentioned
on the menu.
So apparently at least some places are getting back to the idea
of people being "permitted" to season their own food to their
liking without having to ask.
#Post#: 15537--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: LadyX
Date: October 6, 2018, 1:18 pm
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--- Quote from: TootsNYC link ---
>
> [quote author=lmyrs link=topic=720.msg15423#msg15423
date=1538720736]
> I trust that the enthusiasm to disregard established etiquette
rules within this thread apply to all established etiquette
rules.
>
--- End Quote ---
ooh, I think this is kind of a snotty comment.
[/quote]
I agree and I would like to see less of this kind of attitude.
It's not a comment about the topic at hand but a general
pronouncement on the disposition of the members here and is to
be discouraged.
#Post#: 15552--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: TootsNYC
Date: October 6, 2018, 5:59 pm
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--- Quote from: lmyrs link ---
>
> I'm just saying that I find it fascinating that an entire
board of people dedicated to understanding and promoting those
guidelines has chosen this one in particular to arbitrarily
decide it's just not worth it.
>
--- End Quote ---
Ah, but what you are seeing is a CHANGE in those guidelines.
And we are entitled to change them, each of us (that's why
they're not laws).
Salting your food before tasting may be "bad form" according to
rules that were written down in the past, or it may even be a
bit illogical.
But what you are seeing, given that so very many of us are
saying this same thing, is that those rules don't have a
consensus behind them anymore.
Rules (or laws) that are not followed (or are not enforced) are
no longer rules or laws, even if they are written down.
But
#Post#: 15556--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: guest725
Date: October 6, 2018, 8:01 pm
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I don't understand why one would salt food before tasting it
(with the exception of eggs and fries, other stuff I can't think
of now) from a restaurant because what if you over salt it? Send
it back? And yeah, the server might have noticed because in
higher end restaurants part of their job is to be observant.
#Post#: 15557--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: Dr. F.
Date: October 6, 2018, 8:27 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: puppylove link ---
>
> I don't understand why one would salt food before tasting it
(with the exception of eggs and fries, other stuff I can't think
of now) from a restaurant because what if you over salt it? Send
it back? And yeah, the server might have noticed because in
higher end restaurants part of their job is to be observant.
>
--- End Quote ---
For me, the only time I have salted food without tasting it was
at a restaurant I had been to about once/twice a month for about
5 years. One of the dishes I routinely got was *always*
undersalted to my taste. After 5 years, I felt I was justified
in salting that particular dish without tasting it. I wouldn't
do that without a serious long-term background, but feel
perfectly justified in this instance. This just goes to show
that, to me, all etiquette rules have exceptions. (It was a
fairly casual eatery, with salt, pepper, and hot sauces on the
table.)
#Post#: 15671--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: Hanna
Date: October 8, 2018, 6:08 pm
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I have friends that love salt. They are going to want more salt
on pretty much anything.
I always heard it was gauche to salt without tasting and that if
you did this on a job interview they’d assume you make decisions
without all the facts. Never knew it was rude, just thought
people might consider it dumb.
I don’t do it because generally food is already salty enough for
me, but cannot imagine ever noticing or thinking much about it
if someone did it to food I cooked or if we were out to eat
together. Maybe it’s rude to do it, but calling attention to it
is definitely very get-a-life and annoying. I guess we
shouldn’t be surprised since people went to war over salt!
#Post#: 15678--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: Buffalogal
Date: October 8, 2018, 7:01 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The rule to "taste before salting" actually originally had
nothing to do with the feelings of the cook, it had to do with
the fact that salt was both expensive and required for food
preservation (the word salary comes from salt and the expression
"being worth your salt" reflects the value of it as well). The
reason you tasted your food before you salted it was not to
waste your hosts' expensive and necessary resource.
Given that, it really is one of those rules that no longer
applies in a world where salt is both cheap and not a necessity
of life anymore.
#Post#: 15682--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: guest657
Date: October 8, 2018, 7:07 pm
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I think you raise an important distinction - gauche (or tacky)
vs rude.
Rudeness involves being rude *to someone.* That's why it could
be considered rude to pre-salt food in someone's home - you're
signaling that you assume the food is going to be bland or
tasteless. That's not a nice message to send to your host.
But in most restaurants, the chef can't see you when you're
eating. And even if they could, it's a business transaction. A
customer is perfectly entitled to pre-salt their food, leave
their food untouched, to eat their peas from their knife, talk
with their mouth full, or scrape their plate directly into a
trash bin. As long as they pay their bill and don't make a mess,
they weren't rude to the chef or the owner.
A few of those would be rude to dining companions, and some of
them would be gauche (or just foolish). But you can pour
whatever you want on food you bought, at any stage. It's not
rude.
#Post#: 15708--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: guest725
Date: October 9, 2018, 2:40 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Dr. F. link ---
>
> [quote author=puppylove link=topic=720.msg15556#msg15556
date=1538874111]
> I don't understand why one would salt food before tasting it
(with the exception of eggs and fries, other stuff I can't think
of now) from a restaurant because what if you over salt it? Send
it back? And yeah, the server might have noticed because in
higher end restaurants part of their job is to be observant.
>
--- End Quote ---
For me, the only time I have salted food without tasting it was
at a restaurant I had been to about once/twice a month for about
5 years. One of the dishes I routinely got was *always*
undersalted to my taste. After 5 years, I felt I was justified
in salting that particular dish without tasting it. I wouldn't
do that without a serious long-term background, but feel
perfectly justified in this instance. This just goes to show
that, to me, all etiquette rules have exceptions. (It was a
fairly casual eatery, with salt, pepper, and hot sauces on the
table.)
[/quote]
I think we agree, sort of. I'm not thinking etiquette, I'm
thinking logically. I would be embarrassed to send my food back
because I oversalted it, whether the server "approved" or not.
My opinion is that if I took it upon myself to presalt food
before I taste it, it's my fault.
#Post#: 15711--------------------------------------------------
Re: How In-salt-ing
DIR By: lowspark
Date: October 9, 2018, 7:46 am
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I can think of at least one case where restaurants often
encourage the customer to season their food before tasting it.
And that is when the server comes around with the pepper grinder
and offers to top your salad. And when they do this, it's always
up to the customer to signal the server when to stop.
So here you have a case of adding a little or a lot of pepper,
the amount being totally up to the patron before they have
tasted it.
And another I just thought of, adding grated parmesan cheese on
your food as they often do in Italian restaurants. Again, the
server comes around to sprinkle on as much as you want before
you taste your food.
So... how is salt any different? I guess the answer is that you
assume that the chef has added some amount of salt to the food
when preparing it. But that's really a sort of murky line
because without tasting the salad, how do you know there isn't
already some ingredient that gives it a peppery taste? Or the
pasta or other dish, how do you know there isn't already enough
cheese in it?
So yeah. I just don't agree with the perceived rudeness.
To answer puppylove, I've never heard of anyone sending their
food back based on something they, themselves, did to the food
unless it was purely accidental. So for example if you did go to
salt your food and the top fell off the shaker and poured a ton
of salt on your food, yeah, I'd ask the restaurant to please
remake my dish. But if I just put too much salt on it myself,
well, too bad for me. I don't think people send their food back
for that reason. But if they did, I agree that would be wrong.
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