We geek out on fresh grinding pepper around here! So many diff types too. But some peppers, a few grinds is all you need. Old black pepper is awful tasting.
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Without salt in your food one will have a critical tool not available to modulate the taste of many foods (which also can’t be substituted by other ingredients/spices). There are many good scientific papers describing the role of ion channels in taste - where in particular sodium plays a key role. Here is a good overview with several good references to dig deeper into the science. In short, one can cook without salt but you won’t reach the “bliss point” and thereby miss significant parts of good taste (and even getting used to lower levels of salt won’t compensate)
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Actually there is significant growing scientific evidence that even though a low salt diet might be beneficial for a certain part of the population but at the same time a no salt or too low salt diet is equally associated with higher death rates. Here is just one of many studies supporting that too low (and too high) salt levels are not good for you.
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I keep table salt, sea salt both fine and coarse, kosher salt both Domino and Morton in their original containers but use them sparingly. I’d have to hunt down a salt shaker for the table but I have three pepper mills set to different grinds.
If a restaurant uses so much salt I can taste it, it’s using too much. Too many otherwise perfect French fries have been ruined by too many shakes of the salt shaker. Salt should enhance not dominate. Yet, I won’t complain about salt in potato and tortilla chips. And definitely not in crunchy Cheetos.
The idea of a pepper cellar is terrific. How long before freshly ground pepper loses its zing? When a new recipe calls for a specific amount of pepper I grind some onto a piece of paper and then measure the quantity needed. The next time I used that recipe I would probably use more ground pepper.
I don’t use or like much salt but can’t come up with a good substitute.
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I’m wondering how “salty” would be defined. Fortunately, although I have hypertension, (well controlled) I hear little if any salt restrictions. It is my understanding that most folks with HTN are not “salf”, as in NaCl sensitive. In my reading, canned foods seem to be a mentioned more than salty ones.
I don’t understand. Would that be something like seaweed, and exclude fish sauce? I assume ham, bacon, olives, anchovies would not be considered naturally salted.
Equal to what? Equal to the literature questioning the health benefit of a “no sodium” diet? How would one achieve a “no sodium diet”?
There is controversy about recommending low ( less than 2500, or less than1500 mg sodium chloride/day) for everyone. I’ve not heard of “no sodium”. .
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I do like my salts Diamond crystal . Sea salt from Cyprus. Those big flakes for finishing. I use a pinch in my cooking. I’ll look at the dish . Might need a little salt . If I had no salt it would be unsalted butter , duck fat , or a top quality olive oil. Pepper has to be freshly ground. No sitting around for this condiment.
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My nephrologist is also my nutritionist. Those are interesting studies. Thanks.
I’ve got bigger problems than salt so I’m a happy camper at the moment.
She’s an all things in moderation kinda doctor who’s glad I’m eating and drinking whether healthy or not.
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WOULD YOU RATHER …
Only drink water, or drink anything but water?
I live in a place where the best water on earth comes from . It takes forty years for the water to move from the volcano to the well . Its extremely excellent. I’m not much of a water drinker. Yet I do
I prefer whole milk.
Much as it pains me to think about going without coffee and wine, I’d have to vote water. I don’t enjoy soda, juice, most tea or really any beverage other than the aforementioned booze and coffee, so I’d either die of a caffeine overdose or cirrhosis pretty fast without water!
That would be an awful choice, but I’d have to go with water.
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Give up gin, never. My water is natural spring water. I drink a lot of ice water, but I could never give up my gin. Life’s too short.
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I cook with fresh ground pepper (mortar & pestle) and course kosher. However for final delicate seasoning I use salt flakes.
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Same for me. At the table it’s almost always water. But dinner is sandwiched between cocktail hour(s) and night cap(s). 
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Perfect. Just the right size for pinching.
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I don’t drink any carbonated soda (except ginger ale when I’m sick or in a Moscow Mule), and I would miss wine an awful awful lot, but I’d have to say only drink water.
And to me, coffee IS water. So I’d at least have my wake-me-up in the morning.
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Salt. We die without salt and most foods lack it naturally.
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My recent hospitalization, ultimately due to dehydration, diarrhea and a severe urinary tract infection I had low sodium levels - they drew blood every 4 hours to calibrate my IV’s. I fell at home and couldn’t get up - had to call 911.
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