Topic: Chillies and salt

[Peripatetic Phil]

It is now about 40 years since I first discovered that the only way to cope with a Bangalore Phal where the chilli is over pre-dominant is to add salt.  It brings out the flavour of the other spices while not affecting the chilli one iota.  Well, I had more-or-less forgotten about that experience until this evening, when (for speed and simplicity) I made myself a bowl of beef pho.  It tasted very good, but when all the broth had gone and there were just about 1/4 of the noodles left, I decided to spice it up by adding some Way-On Chilli Oil with Shrimp.  As soon as I ate it, I realised it needed more salt.  Now the interesting thing is that the pho, until that point, had been absolutely fine (some of you, with a lower tolerance for salt than me, would probably have said it was too salty).  Yet the instant I added chilli oil, I had to add salt.  Interesting.

** Phil.

[fried]

And the chilli oil isn't salty?

[Peripatetic Phil]

And the chilli oil isn't salty?

Yes, it is, that is why I use that brand/variety (the salt leaches out from the shrimp).  Yet I still needed to add more.

** Phil.

[fried]

When you were talking about your phal, did you add salt to dampen the effect of the chilli or to bring out the overall taste?

[Peripatetic Phil]

When you were talking about your phal, did you add salt to dampen the effect of the chilli or to bring out the overall taste?

In a sense, it was both.  The best way I can describe it was to "re-balance" the spicing.  As served, virtually the only thing that could be tasted was the chilli; after adding salt, the other spices came through, which had the additional benefit of seeming to tone-down the chilli to manageable proportions.

** Phil.

[Rob-phall-ike]

Interesting Phil. I love the flavour of chillies and also a reasonable addition of salt. At my age (now 58) I have been advised to greatly reduce the amount of salt I take and have heeded that advice. It would be even more interesting to know whether using "low salt" would do the same thing?
Rob

[Peripatetic Phil]

It would be even more interesting to know whether using "low salt" would do the same thing?

To be honest, I don't know.  I have never intentionally used lo-salt, but I have had it served to me by Burger King, and whilst I would have preferred to be told I was not being given what I asked for, the taste seemed pretty much the same, I just had to use more of it.

** Phil.

[Rob-phall-ike]

Cheers Phil

I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

Rob