Once and For All: When to Add Salt to Your Dishes? Chef's Advice

One of the simple yet important secrets of professional chefs is the timing of adding salt.

Many tend to salt the dish at the beginning of cooking, but chefs recommend adding the salt at the final stage of the process (or in gradual stages). Why? Here are a few reasons:

1. Control over taste:
If you add salt at the start, it is hard to know exactly how much is needed, as flavors change and intensify during cooking. Seasoning at the end allows you to taste and adjust the saltiness accurately.

2. Preserving the freshness of ingredients:
Salt draws out liquids, and therefore if added too early to vegetables or meat, it may dry them out. Adding at the end ensures a rich taste and natural moisture.

3. Enhancing flavors:
Adding salt at the end highlights the flavors of the other ingredients instead of "masking" them, creating a deeper and more balanced culinary experience.

Chefs also recommend experimenting with different types of salt (like coarse sea salt or smoked salt) to enhance flavors and add a unique touch to the dish.