Replacing Salt with Spices

While a lot of talk goes on about the health benefits of spices, most of these are... dubious at best.  Some people just repeat anything they hear without checking it, but then there are those who are actually trying to con you.  Remember, if it sounds like someone is trying to sell you something, they are.

"If you just gargle half a teaspoon of turmeric every day you'll never get sick again!"

One thing that science is very clear on, however, is that too much sodium in your diet is bad for you. My doctor made a specific point of telling me that my blood pressure was too high and I needed to go low salt.  As I've talked about before, this is what led me to get so obsessed with spices.  A low sodium diet is pretty bland, so you need something to wake those flavors up.  Fortunately, this is something you can do with spices quite well.  You may be familiar with the Mrs. Dash line of seasoning blends, but you can use single spices as well.  In fact, Watch Mojo made a video on just this.

Now, it needs to be said that none of these will replace the flavor of effect of salt.  They will wake up the flavors of the dish you're preparing, but don't expect it to taste salty.  That said, all of these options are pretty good.  I'll add my two cents that onion powder, cayenne and coriander can all help in their own way.  To be honest, though, you're still probably going to want to use SOME salt.  Try just using a tiny pinch along with other substitutes.

One big reason why most Americans consume too much salt is because not enough people are cooking their own food.  Prepared foods (frozen/canned/just add water) and foods from restaurants (from fast food all the way to haute cuisine, no exceptions) are chock full of salt to trigger the bliss point.  Our brains are wired to make us crave salt, fat and sugar (a survival instinct leftover from before agriculture) which is why you can't eat just one.  However, going low on sodium is not only good for you, it also shows you just how little you actually need salt for food to taste good.  And I mean REALLY good.

While you may not be able to substitute salt in a way that makes it taste like your food is still salty, you can still cut sodium while keeping your food flavorful.  Give it a go sometime.  You'll be surprised in a number of ways.  One of these ways for me was a new found annoyance with the food industry for replacing all flavor with salt, but now that I know how to make food taste better than they do, I have the power.

Pictured: Me in the kitchen.

Sazón: La Especia de Encanta

Part of my family is from Puerto Rico. The island isn't the most vegetarian friendly but what I can eat is really good. Mofongo, arañitas, pastelillos and arroz con gandules are all dishes that any boricua will gush about. Most dishes have a combination of earthy and tangy flavors that remind one of the famous pairing of cumin and coriander.  Indeed, it is this combination that you will find in the vast majority of the island's "cocina criolla" or creole cooking and in sazón (pronounced "sah-ZONE").

Sazón is a seasoning blend that is kind of frowned on for a couple of reasons.  First, it's full of salt and MSG which...  well, that's another article for another time.  Second, it's often used to replace achiote oil (annatto seeds cooked in oil), which more prestigious chefs use to give foods distinct flavors.  I totally get that, but when I visit the island, we eat Abuelita's cooking and she reaches for the Sazón Goya.  You do not want to cross Abuelita.  Her cooking spoon is meaner than Nonna's.  Trust, bruh.

The face of a stone cold killer

Like many seasoning blends, sazón (which literally translates as "seasoning") is just a combination of spices popular in the region.  It's known throughout the Caribbean and elsewhere in Latin America.  It's even easy to find in continental U.S. supermarkets thanks to the ubiquity of the international foods aisle (better known as the "Goya aisle").  However, like most things you'll find in boxes, it's really heavy on salt.  Fortunately, it's REALLY easy to make your own.  

Just use equal parts of the following (I usually go with 1 TBSP each):

• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• cumin
• coriander
• annatto
• MSG (optional)
• onion powder (optional)
• oregano (optional)

Of course, you can adjust these as you see fit.  Most recipes do not call for oregano or onion powder at all.  I don't put salt or MSG into the blend when I make it myself as both of those are best added on their own, depending on how much is desired for the recipe.  I tend to go low salt and leaving it out helps.  However, annatto is ABSOLUTELY NOT optional.  I've seen a very weird trend in recipes to suggest replacing annatto (which, I admit, is sometimes hard to find) with paprika.  I can only assume this is because these people think paprika and annatto are flavorless, and only used for color.  Do not make this mistake. Abuelita would never forgive you.

As for a good recipe to try this Caribbean concoction on, I like to show people arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas).  Most of us are familiar with the Mexican take on rice and beans, which is delicious in its own right.  The Puerto Rican version is quite different and showcases what makes creole cooking unique.  Even readers of the Facebook page Being Latino rated it as the best kind. Enjoy el sabor auténtico.

So while it might be a betrayal of Puerto Rican cuisine, sazón is also what the majority of Puerto Ricans use at home which makes it quite authentic as far as Abuelita is concerned.  And if it's good enough for her, you'd better eat it.  Or else.