Viking Smoked Salt

What is my smoked Scandinavian Viking salt?

Smoked Viking salt is a great alternative to traditional salt. It will give a special taste to your hot or cold dishes. The Scandinavians have been experts in smoking and salting fish and meat for decades. This precious know-how still manages to surprise our gourmet taste buds today.

Ingredients of Viking smoked salt

It is often the simplest recipes that are the most appreciated. I have prepared the Viking smoked salt as simply as possible. It is made of an aromatic salt that I have specially selected to make this mixture.

The Nordic flavours present in this salt come from the smoke aromas that I dose very precisely in order to bring this characteristic Nordic taste note. I tested this recipe several times, with different measures to find the right balance that I propose today.

The pleasure of the taste also passes by the pleasure of the eyes. So, to find the color of the smoking technique of meat and fish, I use the natural coloring E150a based on caramel. A touch of this ingredient is enough to obtain the light orange colour of the salt from the Nordic countries.

David Vanille's choice: a recipe with a base of simple ingredients, but which make all the difference!

The origins of Nordic salt

We often hear about the Vikings as a people of rough and merciless warriors. The legends about their past are certainly true: they were proud and organized fighters. But what interests me in their history are the less popular stories about their travels and the gastronomy of these northern tribes. For if they are most often known for their brutality, they are less known for their conviviality around the table.

The Vikings were experts in smoking and salting. If they did not immediately cook the fruits of their hunting and fishing in the form of stew or grilled, they prepared their food to preserve it for a long time.

The story of Lothar and Berghild

Often, genius ideas come from a mistake. This is exactly the case with Viking smoked salt. The recipe for this Scandinavian salt came from a blunder. When a Viking tribe returned from fishing, it was customary to cut up the fish and cetaceans and store them in a saltbox for better preservation. However, the saltbox was already filled with all the meat from the pigs, goats and sheep.

Lothar, at the age of 14, had been given the task of making room for the food to be stored safely for the winter. So the young man moved the salted meat into the smokehouse, not caring that it had already been salted..

Then one day, while preparing a meal of leg of mutton, Berghild, one of the tribeswomen, smelled something unusual about the meat. She prepared the meat anyway, worried that she would disappoint her tribe members. The questioning in the eyes of the people at the table gave way to delight in their stomachs. Mixing the iodized taste of salt with the flavors of smoke was an excellent idea! So we can thank Lothar for his clumsiness and Berghild for his risk-taking, who has been seasoning our plates since Scandinavia in the 10th century.

Benefits of salt

The harmful effects of salt are regularly pointed out when it is consumed in excess. However, when used in dishes in moderation, it contributes to the body's mineral intake thanks to the presence of sodium and magnesium. Iodine also plays a role in the balance and proper functioning of the thyroid.

How to use Viking smoked salt in cooking?

To the nose as well as to the palate, this combination of iodine flavours reminiscent of sea spray and the palette of smoke plunges you directly into the heart of the Scandinavian forests! Whether for everyday meals or for more elaborate dishes, Scandinavian salt can be used in all sorts of ways. Use it to add salt directly to your plate or add it during the preparation of your dishes. Nordic salt is suitable for a variety of foods and recipes:

• Salted butter
• Fish (especially excellent with grilled salmon)
• Potatoes
• Winter vegetables
• Eggs
• Red and white meats
• Marinades

How to use it on these dishes? Sprinkle it directly on food at the beginning of cooking to impregnate your preparations or make a marinade for your turkey brochettes or pork chops before grilling them on the barbecue. Whether sliced or whole, baked or grilled, your salmon will be sublimated by the salt of the Nordic countries!

Our recipe ideas with Viking smoked salt

The starter: boiled eggs

Used directly in boiled eggs, the smoke flavour gives a fabulous taste to this apparently very basic dish. The Scandinavian salt will give an original touch and a particular aroma to your eggs.

The main course: ideal for meat and fish

It is difficult to give you a single recipe for a main course with Viking smoked salt because it is a perfect seasoning for all your red and white meats, poultry and fish. It is a perfect seasoning for all your red and white meats, poultry and fish. It accompanies a pork roast, a leg of lamb or a roasted chicken with a lot of flavour. In a traditional Scandinavian spirit, offer your guests a delicious Bakerens Lam (Baker's lamb)!

How to store smoked Viking salt?

Smoked Viking salt can simply be stored in a dry place, away from humidity, in a tin can or in a closed glass jar. Keep it near your work surface to use in your everyday recipes!