#matchasalt

[farmstayjapan]

Veggie Tempura with salt mixed with matcha in the most relaxed space @Uenoya, Mie prefecture. #matchasalt #matcha #matchasalt #matchagoodness #tea #matchalover #green #matchagreentea #tealife #mieprefecture #tempura #washoku #japanesefood #มัทฉะ #เทมปุระ

[allaboutfoodgwu]

Feeling Fancy

I’m not going to lie. I had high expectations for Dean & DeLuca. And I was a bit disappointed.

As I walked the charming streets of Georgetown in northwest D.C., I dreamed of the salt display that I would find behind Dean & DeLuca’s beautiful front doors. From the outside, the medium-sized market was chic and attractive—clearly matching Georgetown’s posh and bougie vibes.

The first thing that struck me about the inside of the store was the less-than-comfortable temperature. The AC was running full blast, its air smacking me in the face as I walked in. I should have brought a jacket.

It was a Saturday morning at 11am, and the store was entirely empty of customers. The staff was buzzing about the market, stocking food and organizing the butcher counter. I was the only customer in sight.

My eyes darted along the left side of the store, which was all prepared foods. On the opposite side, I spotted a modest section of spices & seasonings and headed towards the back of the store.

The seasonings were set up on a wide metal shelf, flanked by a small display of sauces/condiments on the left and oils on the right. With a quick glance, the shelves were neatly organized. Each spice was packed tightly in, and the labels were all faced correctly (top right photo). 

Although all the seasonings came in cute tins and jars, it was difficult to spot exactly what I was looking for. Many of the labels used cursive text or other fancy, swirly lettering. This font choice was quite pretty, but not at all practical. The colors of the labels were fairly uniform: mostly white bases with black or silver letters, and the occasional jar with beige or pastel shades.

Although some of the seasonings were alphabetical, the salt was randomly placed on the highest shelf (bottom right photo). On the far left, I noticed something I’d never even heard of: matcha salt! Upon seeing this, I did some quick research on my phone and learned that it is often used on top of fried foods like tempura or fish, or as a salty element in a cocktail. The more standard varieties of salt included: crystal salt, sea salt (French and regular), roasted garlic salt, and pink Himalayan salt. None of these salts came with built-in grinders.

Most of the seasonings were made by Dean & DeLuca, but the salt had some other brands mixed in as well. What is the price of these bougie salts, you ask? Well that is a terrific question. A terrific question that I have absolutely no answer to.

That’s right. No price tags. Not a single price tag to be found on the entire seasoning shelf. Why? My theory is that each little jar costs an arm and a leg, so the store prefers to keep prices discreet. That seems like a bad marketing strategy in my opinion, but what do I know anyway.

All in all, Dean & DeLuca had some fun salts available. But, to be honest, I was expecting more. I thought I would find truffle salt, black salt, or even a salt sampler. Oh well!

Signing off for now.

-Lauren Petersil

Quote of the Day: “Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food.” – William Hazlitt

[seimeetea]

First BBQ for the season ☀️ seasoned with matcha salt. Matcha is one of the Umami rich foods and its antioxidants reduce carcinogens. Another great way to utilize matcha and matcha antioxidants. #matchalovers #matcharecipes #greenteaherbal #greenteahealthy #greentearecipes #greenteaantioxidants #umami #matchasalt

[epumaseats]

Made it just in time to Hinodeya Ramen right when it opened for the day. Karaage with Matcha salt, then ordered Hinodeya Ramen and Tori Paitan, lastly got Black sesame and Matcha ice creams with granola. The soup was full of dashi flavor which they are known for and the tori paitan was very rich in flavor, I loved the broth and the noodles. The karaage had the chicken skin fried with it which gave it a crunch. The granola went well with the ice cream and was a great end. Would definitely recommend this place. #epumasEats #ramen #hinodeyaramen #japantown #dashiramen #toripaitan #karaage #matchasalt #blacksesame #matcha #icecream #foodie #foodporn #instafood #foodstagram (at Hinodeya Ramen SF)