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Andrew Zimmern visits Portland and discovers The Meadow and our Sal de Gusano. Also known as gusano rojo or chinicuil, gusano is a larva that feeds on maguey and agave plants. It is great as an all-purpose seasoning salt for proteins like eggs and steak. Also try rimming a sundae cup with Sal de Gusano to serve tuna ceviche.Watch the Video

You can basically break down the thousands of salts into two basic, meaningful categories: cooking and finishing. Bitterman advises that every home cook should possess his or her favorite of each of these. When trying to determine your favorite salt, make sure you learn about the different sizes and textures that are out there. This will help you find a favorite.   Read Original Article

The first salt that I tried was perhaps the most shocking: Kala Namak from India. The flavor is immediately intense–reminiscent of Indian food or cumin–and I’ll admit, I thought it was some kind of spice blend when I first tried it. But reading about it online, I discovered that the aroma occurs naturally because of its sulfur content. Wikipedia likens it to “rotten eggs” which isn’t particularly appealing; I’d liken it more to how cumin smells a little bit like body odor? But in a good sort of way?View Article>

“In a time of ingredient-driven cuisine, people are looking for quality ingredients that make their dishes pop. They are turning to artisan salts, rediscovering something authentic and real that has been overlooked for years,” says selmelier Mark Bitterman, author of Salted, A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral and owner of The Meadow, a specialty shop of salts, chocolates, flowers and bitters with locations in Portland, Ore., and New York. “The resurgence of artisan salts is no longer subtle; it is becoming mind-blowing.”View Article>

I went to The Meadow in search of the perfect salt for eggs. A clerk handed me a black salt from India called kala namak. I opened the jar and inhaled a whiff of sulfur. I bought it on faith, used it on scrambled eggs the next day, and retired my regular salt shaker, overcome by the urge to sprinkle kala namak on everything. Tofu? Check. Vegetables — yes, especially sauteed padron peppers, which seem to have been made for it. In India, kala namak is used in fruit chaat, a fruit salad sold on street corners. Salt is an inexpensive indulgence — at least kala namak is. Buy a small bottle and see what foods you can subtly transform.View Here>

Writer Matthew Rowley discovers our bitters tasting table at the New York store: “The Meado’s way around shoppers’ potential unfamiliarity with brands is to offer a tasting table where one bottle of every bitters in stock is open. Drinkers who want to compare brands of celery, old fashioned, orange, or other bitters are welcome to do so.”View Here>

What is salt? Chemists would say it’s sodium chloride, but why does it come in so many shapes and sizes? Mark Bitterman’s salt obsession began in France more than 25 years ago, when he met Michelin-starred chefs who traveled with their own precious supply. Along with his wife, Jennifer, Bitterman now owns a store called The Meadow, with branches in Portland, OR, and New York City that sell salts from all over the world. Many are tracked down by Bitterman or custom-made, like his house fleur de sel. In two other articles, Mark talks about How to Season with Salt and he names the six sins against salt.   Read "Lessons from Mark Bitterman"

To describe Mark Bitterman as an artisanal salt evangelist is the equivalent of describing the sun as a bright object in the sky. Bitterman’s book, Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, is a 300 page hardcover tome that is considered an authoritative, and comprehensive guide to the world of artisan salt. View Here>>

Mrs. Maki interviews Mark at AM 860. They talk about Portland's food culture, the origins of the word "Selmelier", how to salt a salad, and much more. You can listen to Mrs. Maki every Sunday at 9am. View Here>>