Salt is one of the most important ingredients you can use when cooking, yet using too much comes with notable health downsides, leaving many to wonder whether there's a solution lying in a potential middle ground.
While it's impossible not to know when something has been over-salted, it's equally as easy to spot when food doesn't haven't enough of the essential seasoning, as it can leave your dishes with a bland or minimal taste.
Salt undeniably has a 'flavor' of its own, yet its magical property is bringing out the taste of whatever food you're eating, making it feel far more 'like itself' and often activating that much-desired umami flavor profile.
Having too much salt can lead to health issues down the line, because not only can you end up with high blood pressure, but you also put yourself at risk of major complications like heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
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That's why a 'magic' spoon engineered by a Japanese company has proven to be such a success. Now, a fascinating YouTube video might be enough to convince you to add it to your cutlery drawer.
As shared by Patricia O'Connor, the spoon was released by Kirin in partnership with Dr. Homei Miyashita at Meiji University. It claims to use electrical technology to enhance the salty taste perceived by your tongue when eating low-sodium foods.
Ai Sato, who is head of Kirin's Health Science Business Division and the primary mind behind the Electric Salt Spoon, maintains that it works by sending a mild electrical current to your mouth. This then allows the salt and umami ions in the food to attach to your tongue.
You don't have to worry about any shocks either, as the current is slightly less than you'd get from a home facial machine and therefore more than safe for consumption.
The results are hard to deny, too – at least if you go by Patricia's experience – as she tried a meal with minimal salt without the spoon turned on, and then compared it to the same meal with the enhancements of the gadget.
The first test was fine but noticeably bland, but trying the exact same dish with the spoon turned on changed everything.
"As soon as you turn it on, I'm not even kidding, it made the food significantly saltier," Patricia explained, adding, “Honestly it's pretty crazy how big of a difference it makes."
The one 'downside' of this Electric Salt Spoon is that it costs 24,750 yen, which works out to around $157 with the current exchange rate. It favors the dollar significantly right now, meaning that in 'normal' circumstances it would cost far more.
However, if this prevents you from encountering health complications down the line while preserving the great taste of every meal, then you can't really complain.