Seasoned, flavoured salts are a kitchen cheat code – tiny flavour bombs that deliver hours of complexity in a single sprinkle. Toast a spice, blitz citrus peel, fold in herbs and you have a versatile jar that can be served as a dip or dusted over dishes to add aroma, a touch of crunch and a flash of colour.
From jade-green matcha salt to tongue-tingling Szechuan salt, these bespoke blends impress diners and show just how to make flavoured salt part of everyday cooking.
Matcha blended with flaky salt creates an eye-catching green condiment with a grassy, green-tea bitterness that is ideal for cutting through fried dishes like tempura, fried rice or popcorn to cut oiliness to add a clean, earthy note.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
This flavoured salt combines nori, bonito flakes and salt to deliver a concentrated ocean flavour — briny with a hint of smoke. Use on seafood, eggs or steamed rice for quick umami.
Credit: Adam Liaw
Dried porcini blitzed with peppercorns infuses salt crystals with a mushroom perfume and peppery heat. Finish risotto, roast potatoes or steaks for deeper savouriness in seconds.
Grilled rib eye with porcini and peppercorn salt and lemony salsa verde. Credit: Petrina Tinslay
One of the simplest flavoured salts to master: oven-dried basil crushed with sea salt releases fresh herb oils that lift caprese salads, pasta, melon or a cocktail rim with a sweet, slightly appeal. Try it wherever you would use fresh basil.
Source: SBS / SBS Food
Smoked paprika, mild chilli and stock powder combine with salt for barbecue flavour in dry form. Dust over roast nuts, chicken thighs or fried vegetables.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
Green chilli salt brings fresh heat; red chilli salt adds deeper spice. Offer both with grilled meats, noodles , crispy tofu or tropical fruit so diners control the kick. To make them, simply pound the chilli and garlic in a mortar, then add the salt and pound to a paste. Transfer to a small dry frying pan and stir over low heat until dry.
Grilled lemongrass chicken with chilli salt and cumquat Credit: The Chefs' Line
Curious how to make flavoured salt quickly? Mix equal parts curry powder, chicken stock powder and sea salt for a golden seasoning that perks up roast cauliflower, pumpkin soup, boiled eggs or grilled pork belly with a familiar and comforting flavour.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
This native mix proves salt is more than sodium: peppery bite, subtle smoke and tomato-like tang from kutjera fold into each taste. Try it with something earthy to bring out the umami sparks.
Beer-battered mushrooms Credit: Kitti Gould
Toasted fennel seeds crushed with salt deliver light licorice sweetness. This flavoured salt will brighten ingredients like boiled eggs, seafood, buttered potatoes, roast carrots and goat cheese with an intriguing anise tinge that offsets acidity and lifts creamy flavours.
Paprika, garlic and a whisper of citric acid give classic chip salt nostalgic fish-and-chip-shop flavour. Tossed through chips, it clings to the steam and ensures a balanced pop of seasoning in every golden starchy mouthful.
Credit: Adam Liaw
Tajín — an essential Mexican condiment that can be purchased online or from speciality stores — adds its lime-forward citrus tang and mild chilli heat to salt. Roll grilled corn or cocktail rims through it, or sprinkle it over anything from fresh fruit to grilled seafood and tacos for an instant Mexican vibe.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
Wondering how to make flavoured salt with pantry staples? Toast lemon zest strips, rosemary and sea salt flakes in a medium frying pan, shaking regularly until the lemon and rosemary are completely dry, then blend to a coarse powder and combine with salt. This zesty, pine-infused addition is the perfect finish for roast vegetables, chicken and and steamed fish for an aromatic lift.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
Dehydrated orange peel, saffron and warm clove spice come together in this citrus-floral salt. Use on fried seafood, roast pumpkin or dark chocolate or even ceviche for layered flavour.
Vanilla bean seeds scraped freshly from the pod are mixed through flaky salt for a rich and creamy but refreshing condiment. Finish caramel ice cream, roasted fruit and sweet tarts with this element of surprise.
Treacle and vanilla salt tart Credit: Bonnie Savage and Alan Benson
Star anise, cinnamon, clove, fennel and pepper combine with salt for classic and balanced Chinese sweet-savoury aroma. Dust crispy poultry, steamed buns or tofu for instant Asian street food and restaurant appeal.
Crispy skin chicken with five-spice salt.
Roasted Szechuan pepper and whole spices bring to salt a soft tingly buzz and floral heat. Sprinkle over grilled crustaceans, cold noodles or sautéed greens and even sliced fresh mango for gentle numbing thrill.
Credit: Dan Freene
