by J.D. Roth
“Why did you buy a bag of potato chips?” Kris asked me the other day. “You shouldn’t be eating those.”
“I know,” I said, “but I was craving salt.” It’s true. I was craving salt — although “craving” puts it mildly. I was driving home from running errands when I felt an urge to eat raw salt in large quantities. I stopped for a bag of the best chips on earth: Kettle-brand salt & fresh ground pepper potato chips. These things are salt bombs.
My love for salt is nothing new. Many of you have sat with me in restaurants or at fancy dinner parties and marveled as I ate raw salt. I do it even more when you’re not looking. One reason I have a variety of salts in the cupboard (seasoned salt, garlic salt, herb salt, sea salt, bacon salt) is that I eat a lot of it and therefor want a variety on hand.
Why is this? Why do I love salt so much? Why do I need it? I’m not sure. But I’m very glad that, so far, I am not salt-sensitive. I would hate to have to reduce my sodium intake.
This morning I had a grapefruit for breakfast. But that wasn’t enough. When I’d finished both halves, I felt my longing for salt coming on strong. I spied the bag of potato chips on the counter. I poured myself an ounce of them, and then threw in an ounce of smokehouse almonds for good measure.
Ah, salt, how I love you.
Updated: 21 March 2009