Salt Coffee!?!

[Syekick]

Originally Posted by MrJerry

We'll be giving it a try at the shop this afternoon.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/20...nt_7353803.htm

The sea salt idea is a new twist. In 1972, an old Navy Chief had me making coffee for an 80 cup coffee maker using 6 cups of coffee and 1/4 cup of salt. Also two crushed egg shells if he could get them. I hadn't thought of this in years. As we were "forbidden" to wash the coffee pot, it had a fine, dense film of coffee oils built up at the rate of two pots a day for years.

[MrJerry]

Well, I tried putting a little sea salt on top of my latte and thought it was OK. It did indeed bring out some additional flavors of the espresso and was very much worth giving a try. I don't know if I'd do this too often, but I'm sure I'll be having another go at it this morning.

[Alpedhuez55]

Last week I was watching that show on the travel show with the bald guy who likes to eat Animal Junk. He was in Ethiopa and went to a traditional Coffee Ceremony. It was pretty cool. A woman roasted the beans in a cast iron pan over hot coals, ground them with a stone, and made small cups served with either sugar, salt or butter.

He tried the sugar and loved it. The butter did not go over well. When he tried the salt and thought it was disgusting. So a guy who brags about the chewy savoriness of Meercat Balls was grossed out by salt coffee. Not sure I will try that.

Though the one in Taiwan is a sprinkle of sea salt on top what a sugary latte. It is probably drinkable. Plus they are capitalizing on the current fad that has some people paying $40 a pond for salt.

[itsme_timd]

I had to give the salt in the coffee thing a shot.

I have some nice beans from a local farmer's market and grind and brew those daily. Today I put in a few shakes of table salt (out of sea salt) before I ground the beans. Not much at all - just a shake, shake, shake...

I could not taste the salt but the coffee was MUCH smoother, best pot of coffee I've ever made actually. I changed nothing else, just added the bit of salt.

[Buddha024]

I almost did this by accident one morning. I was making grits and heating water for my french press at the same time. I almost got the pots mixed up and poured the salt water for the grits in the press. That would not have pretty I'm sure.

[germantown rob]

Well I will give this a try. If salt brings the flavor of food out I guess it would be the same for coffee.

[PaleRider]

I had learned of this years ago from my Uncle. He said that it really helps to knock down the acidity. I have used salt in some coffees that have really high acid profiles. It does work.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by MrJerry

Well, I tried putting a little sea salt on top of my latte and thought it was OK. It did indeed bring out some additional flavors of the espresso and was very much worth giving a try. I don't know if I'd do this too often, but I'm sure I'll be having another go at it this morning.

I tried it myself today but added a pinch to the brewed cup after drinking some of it first, I used to much salt but it didn't make it bad. There was a difference of the before and after but I didn't feel it brought out much that wasn't already there and since I used to much I could taste salt. I will try this with a different roast that has hidden flavors and see if salt brings them out more. I will say it smoothed out the cup and would imagine it would make an awful cup somewhat drinkable.

[Pugsley]

Originally Posted by PaleRider

I had learned of this years ago from my Uncle. He said that it really helps to knock down the acidity. I have used salt in some coffees that have really high acid profiles. It does work.

That's pretty much what I heard. My mother, who is in her 80's, has always added a little salt when brewing coffee. She told me she does it to neutralize the acid.