When people talk about experimenting in their 20s, they’re usually referring to wild parties and questionable fashion. For me, though? Oh, I’m all about putting salt on grapefruit.
I don’t know why I started doing it, but I do know I’m addicted – and apparently, despite my friends’ protests, I am neither deranged nor alone.
As it turns out, both science and history back my much-maligned breakfast choices. So, for strictly professional reasons, I thought I’d get into both – bon appétit, salted fruit haters!
Hate the bitter taste of grapefruit? Salt is the answer
It might feel like sugar is a more normal antidote to that bitter grapefruit tang, but actually, salt can be much better at blocking bitterness (this is also the logic behind the coffee and salt trend).
In fact, aside from taking away the more objectionable taste of grapefruit, salt might also make grapefruit taste sweeter.
Salt diminishes our tongue’s ability to sense bitter compounds, and then produces a secondary cognitive effect, which we perceive as “a relative bump in sweetness,” said Paul Breslin, a professor of nutrition at Rutgers University, according to NPR.
And the combo can make the fruit feel fresher and, well, fruitier too. This is because salt helps launch volatile molecules – like those responsible for scent – into the air, where we can then breathe them in and sniff them. Getting a delicious fruity burst of joy.
The salt also brings water closer to the skin, making it juicier (I’m telling you, it’s my summer day go-to for good reason).
Salt can also be sprinkled on any other fruit that tastes bitter or sour, according to The Kitchn – think: oranges, kiwi, berries or a tart apple.
People have eaten salt with grapefruit before, and if I have it my way, they’ll do it again
Eating grapefruit with salt is common in some parts of the world.
In America, the combination has a unique history. During World War I, low sugar supplies led to low grapefruit sales – people hated how it tasted without sugar, and hadn’t tried it with salt yet.
A panicked Florida citrus board (fairly successfully) marketed a national advertising campaign in 1919 to convince Americans that grapefruit ‘need no sugar, and never should have much’. The sodium/citrus pairing soon followed.
The trend died down after the first World War ended but when World War II started, salt manufacturers tried to revamp the (perfect) pairing again.
So, next time you reach for the fruit, try sprinkling a little bit of salt on and see for yourself – I’ve converted everyone I know who’s tried it.