You know those scenes in the movies where someone has accidentally put a bunch of salt in their coffee instead of sugar? Although putting a lot of salt in your coffee can cause it to spit out everywhere, salting your coffee is a common practice – and the reasoning behind it is quite logical.
While some people add a pinch of salt to their cup of coffee, others add a pinch of salt to the coffee grounds before starting the brewing process. Both methods are gaining in popularity, and neither is incorrect. The theory behind salting coffee is that salt acts as a bitterness reducer, which fools our brain and tongue into not detecting the bitter parts of coffee.
Coffee can be quite bitter by nature, especially if you drink it black. This is why we started adding additives such as milk, cream, sugar or honey to our coffee – to block these bitter properties. Salt is an additive used to enhance bland foods, but it also acts as a bitterness blocker in certain situations, such as in coffee.
Although you can add a pinch of salt into your cup directly, the better option seems to be adding a sprinkle of salt into the coffee grounds before you start brewing it. This is a subtle way to reduce the bitterness of the brew without making the salt taste obvious. So if you’re wondering how to improve the quality of your cup of coffee, why not add some salt into your morning routine?
