The use of salt in foodstuffs is often analysed in studies and masticated in the media. Recently, US food science author and former Microsoft tech guru Nathan Myhrvold controversially extolled the virtues of adding a small pinch of salt to a glass of red wine, which he said generally makes it smoother on the palate.
In Hong Kong, one chef has started offering dishes that have been assembled specifically to be paired with rare salt varieties.
"I love salt, but everything needs to be in moderation, and people need to understand what salt should be used for," says Andrea Magnano, executive chef at Aqua Armani restaurant.
"People use it out of habit, particularly in Western foods, whether the dish needs it or not. I get very upset when I see people add salt to a dish before they have even tasted it."
That sounds fair. But Magnano suggests certain types of salt can enhance specific dishes. He has taken this hypothesis a stage further, and is now presenting six dishes, each paired with a rare gourmet salt, in what Aqua Armani calls its Salt Discovery menu, available à la carte or as a tasting menu.
"In the six dishes, the different salt for each brings out certain elements in the dish that you wouldn't experience with a different salt," he says.