Smoked Mesquite Flake Salt

One of our wholesale customers calls our smoked salts "campfire in a jar". He says that "these are about as close as you can get to the smell of a campfire without standing in front of a roaring fire." This is one of our favorite reviews because it encapsulates the experience of smelling a smoked salt for the first time. Smoked salts have been on a steady incline in popularity over the course of a few years, and it's easy to see why. The beautiful scent, incredible flavors, and just the aesthetic appeal make these salts a perfect addition to any spice cabinet.

History of Mesquite Trees

The Mesquite Tree, of the genus Prosopis, is a thorny shrub or tree. Even though this tree is indigenous to South America, it is an extremely popular choice for cooks in the United States. There are over 40 types of Mesquite tree that grow across both North and South America, as well as across North Africa and Eastern Asia. In the United States, the honey mesquite is one of the most common. Native Americans in the region of the country that is now Texas would use Mesquite trees in many ways. The trees pods, sometimes called the fruit, were a rich source of protein and sugar while the wood of the tree was prized for making tools or musical instruments, and it was a good source of fuel for fires. It burns quite fast and very hot. Today, cooks in Texas are fond of using mesquite for making brisket or barbecue.

There is a mesquite tree that grows mysteriously in Bahrain, an area with very little rainfall or other vegetation. It stands at 32 feet high and is the only tree for miles, as it is surrounded by dessert sands. No one is entirely sure how the tree survives as there is no visible source of water, and some believe the tree has figured out a way to absorb water from the surrounding sand, though scientifically speaking this is a very unlikely explanation. Some mystique surrounding this mesquite tree says that it is standing at the original location of the garden of Eden, while others cite Enki, the God of Water in the Sumerian religion as being the provider of water for and the protector of this tree. The roots of the tree reach 50 meters, or approximately 164 feet, deep, leading some scientists to believe that the tree is getting its source of water from deep underground. It is likely that this tree was planted in the 1500s, when the landscape of the area was believed to be a little bit more lively, but because we have yet to invent time travel, we have no way to be sure of how or why this tree survived into the present without any external or human help.

How is it Made?

Don't be fooled- not all smoked salts are created at an equal caliber of quality. Some smoked salts are not ever smoked at all, instead made to taste smoky through the addition of artificial colors and flavors. Mostly, these smoked salts are made with low quality table salts for the quick and cheap distribution of product which translates to bigger profits for the manufacturer These products can't even be called real salt, even though they are often found in the salt section of many supermarkets.

Smoking salts is a long process perfected by producers who care greatly for the flavor and quality of their salts. Our Smoked Mesquite Flaked Salt is a delightfully crunchy salt with a great, high quality flavor and an intensely pleasurable aroma.

First, sea salt is transformed into lamellose crystals, or plate-like crystals, under the pressure of a heated roller. This takes the cubic salt shape and flattens it out into irregularly shaped flat crystals that adhere to food more readily. This means that the salt lingers on your food longer and adds a nice little crunch as you dig into it. The flattened salt is then cold smoked. Cold smoking involves burning bark free hardwood with excellent aromatics at about 68 to 86°F inside of a smoking chamber. The salt is laid out on trays and the smoke wafts around the flakes for 8 to 12 hours.

Cooking with Smoked Mesquite Flaked Salt

Often, the first thing you will think of when hearing the name "mesquite" is a good barbecue sauce. The obvious association here is that our Smoked Mesquite Flaked Salt makes for a great ingredient in homemade barbecue sauces. This salt can be used in dry rubs as well, to help infuse flavor and make the meat more tender. Also try it as an ingredient in your beef brisket, burgers, or beef jerky recipes.

This is a salt that is also fantastic on starchy, root vegetables. It's not super overwhelming but can get there quickly if you load too much on, so use a small amount of the salt at first and then add more to taste. If you love roasted vegetables, this is a salt you will want to have in your spice cabinet!

Smoked salts in general are fantastic in gravies, but this is the perfect salt for a beef gravy. A nice easy recipe for this smoked mesquite gravy requires only a few ingredients. Gather up two cups of beef broth, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup of cold water, 3 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, and a generous pinch of this salt. In a sauce pan over medium high heat, bring your beef broth to a boil and then stir in your garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together your cold water and arrowroot powder. Pour this mixture into the boiling mixture slowly and then reduce the heat to medium low. Stir the boiling gravy until it begins to thicken and then add a pinch of this salt to it. Stir until the salt dissolves and then taste. If you so desire, you can also add a pinch of our Pennsylvania Pepper for an even greater depth of flavor. Serve gravy warm over your favorite meat and potatoes dish.

What Does Smoked Mesquite Flaked Salt Taste Like?

Our Smoked Mesquite Flaked Salt has a strong smoky flavor with slightly sweet undertones.

Substitutions and Conversions

Smoked Mesquite Flaked Salt can be substituted with Smoked Oak Salt or Smoked Hickory Salt if you don't have anything else on hand! Fruity smoked salts are not a good substitute because they are slightly fruity in flavor.

Read More

When and How to Use Salt During Cooking
The Salt Life
Flavor Characteristics of Spices
Most Popular Spices by Cuisine