Function of Salt in Chocolate

Salt accentuates sweetness and suppresses bitterness, while also functioning as a natural enhancer to bring out the flavor in chocolate. Simply adding a touch of salt in chocolate recipes can make the chocolate taste better by balancing out flavours and bringing out many subtle nuances. Salted chocolate has long enchanted connoisseurs and chefs, and is swiftly making its way from an elite culinary obsession to the taste buds of the common public. And why not? It’s got science to back it up. The salt in chocolate helps release chocolate’s aroma molecules into the surrounding air thereby making its taste perception a multi-dimensional experience. Moreover, salt is a micro nutrient that, along with sugar, signals a food that is calorie and nutrient dense – something that our built-in biological system is designed to crave. Which is why we find their combination so very irresistible.

Even though adding salt improves chocolate taste, more isn’t always better. The key is in the right quantity. The function of salt should be to lift the chocolate’s flavours without making the chocolate taste salty. Because salt is not soluble in pure chocolate, it needs to be blended thoroughly to distribute the grains evenly if added directly to the chocolate melt. In many confections, rather than being mixed, it is sprinkled on top of the chocolate. This enhances the chocolate’s visual appeal and adds to its texture as large grains of specialty salts such as Himalayan pink salt, sea salt, and fleur de sel are used instead of your regular table salt.

Getting the right kind and the right amount of salt in chocolate takes some fine-tuning and trials. We’ve done the painstaking work and developed recipes for you that are all about the balance. Join us in our chocolatier program to experience chocolate that’s worth its salt!