Commercial Kitchen Fun: Why Salty & Sweet?

All cooks who consider making desserts know that salty and sweet is a winning combination.

Salted caramel shows up in hundreds of recipes. Candy bars combine salted nuts with chocolate.

We dip French fries in ice cream. We put pineapple on pizza. People even put salt on tomatoes and watermelon! What is it about the combination of salt and sugar that is so mouthwatering?

Let’s take a look – and investigate ways you can bring the salty and sweet into your commercial kitchen.

The Science of Taste

Your taste buds are wired to taste five things: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory. What you might not know is that triggering two of these – for instance, sweet and salty – sends signals to the brain that are twice as strong as one taste alone.

This is why dark chocolate or sweetened coffee (sweet and bitter), sweet and sour, and sweet and salt combinations are so appealing to people. In addition, there are sugar receptors on the sweet taste buds that activate only when salt is present, and salt is a flavor enhancer. This means that the sweet flavor is enhanced when the salt taste is also present.

Mixing flavors in your commercial kitchen is well-known to enhance the enjoyment of food. Sweet and salty is just the same – multiplied a bit because we are built to crave both.

Craving Salt and Sugar

Have a sweet tooth? Can’t put down the potato chips? It may not be entirely your fault – we’re wired to crave both sweets and salt.

Our bodies want sugar because it’s high in calories. In times when food supplies are uncertain – basically, any time except the present – having a high-calorie diet can help you keep going during times you can’t find anything to eat.

In addition, we need sodium to function. As a result, our bodies are designed to crave salt as well. Of course, it wasn’t always as abundant as it is now, so this wasn’t always a problem.

Getting both of these biological needs at once makes the pleasure receptors explode with joy. We absolutely love salt and sugar.

Bringing Salty & Sweet Into Your Commercial Kitchen

If you’re looking for a slam-dunk menu item that will keep people coming back again and again, find a way to mix salty and sweet! You don’t have to do this only on the dessert menu – there are a lot of foods your commercial kitchen can create that bring these flavors together.

As appetizers, you can bring together tomatoes and mozzarella in a traditional caprese. Serve small plates of grapes and cheese, or nuts and fruit.

For main dishes, a Monte Cristo would be a great addition to your lunch menu. There’s also chicken & waffles or candied bacon for breakfast,  and you can create glazed fried chicken for dinner.

Of course, dessert gives your commercial kitchen the most options. You can go classic with salted caramel, mix chocolate with pretzels, or use dried fruit together with peanut butter in a cookie.

Get the Kitchen Equipment You Need Today!

No matter what salty and sweet foods you whip up in your Little Rock commercial kitchen, you’ll need the right kitchen equipment to get it done. Whether you’re looking at high-quality used equipment or brand new, we can help.

Contact us for a quote on any equipment you need today!