In recent years, the application of sea salt in confections has evolved
from strictly artisanal to mainstream in the candy industry. According to
Synergy Consultants, sea salt was introduced to nearly 1,350 food products in
2010 alone. If you have not yet jumped on this bandwagon, you may be missing an opportunity to engage consumers and
increase sales.
RCI
member, Boehm’s Candies of Issaquah, Washington first introduced gourmet sea
salt to their confections in 1999. At the time they wondered if it would be a
quickly passing fad. Today, the candy maker carries a variety of confections
featuring distinctively different gourmet sea salts, contributing to at least
100 pounds of finished product every week to satisfy customer demand.
Pulled
from an article in RCI’s Kettle Talk magazine, Bernard Garbusjuk attributes the
trendiness of sea salt to our love of the sweet and salty combination. “In our
production, we have tested different salt profiles for various confections, but
we believe that the most complementing marriage is between caramel and salt. If
you are very careful balancing a recipe, then it can also work well for solid
chocolate pieces.”
With
the growing popularity of sea salt in a variety of applications, featuring a gourmet
sea salt with a unique color, flavor, coarseness and even origin will help you
create a more signature product. Keep reading for three of Boehm’s favorite
gourmet sea salt varieties, as well as recommended applications for each.
Hawaiian Sea
Salt Blend
Natural
sea salt blended with the rare alaea sea salt from Hawaii. The alaea salt can
be identified by its distinct red color achieved by mixing with volcanic clay.
Boehm’s
standard sea salt caramels are topped with a blend of two different salts from
the Hawaiian Islands. The alaea salt is from the island of Kauai and has a
distinct red color from the volcanic clay, and the white salt is from the
island of Oahu. The finer grain of the salt from Oahu will disperse in your
mouth somewhat faster than the coarser alaea salt and the blend of size and
color give the caramel an elegant, upscale finish.
Ilocano Asin
A
mild, mineral rich sea salt from the pure seawaters of Pangasinan,
Phillippines. Bright, crisp flavors powered by underlying minerals combine in
this complex and well-balanced salt.
At
Boehm’s they created a thin wand of twisted caramel (about the length of a
licorice stick), covered it in chocolate and finished it with the Ilocano Asin
salt. This caramel and sea salt “stick” satisfies customers who want a more
robust salt profile. Simply because of how you eat it, it can taste remarkably
different than the square sea salt caramel.
Smoked Alder
Wood Sea Salt
A
Pacific sea salt is slightly smoked over red alderwood.
As
part of their boxed chocolates, Boehm’s adds a caramel with smoked alderwood
sea salt to represent the Pacific Northwest. Consider sourcing a sea salt that
reflects the flavors and ingredients representative of your area.
If
you can brand a unique sea salt product with a distinctive flavor or coarseness,
or from a special region (Himalayan, Mediterranean, etc.), you may be surprised
how it effects your sales compared to if you use a non-descript sea salt.
If
you’re wondering where to get your hands on gourmet sea salt, Boehm’s Candies recommends
SaltWorks® and xroads Phillippe Sea Salts®. SaltWorks offers a variety of salts
in fine to coarse grain and in many flavor profiles. Xroads Phillippine Sea Salts® delivers
unique culinary sea salts that enhance a broad range of flavors while
empowering small communities.
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