Sea salt caramel has become an extremely popular flavor in recent years, with its distinctive sweet yet salty taste. But what makes this combination so irresistible? Here’s a deep dive into the science, history, and reasons why sea salt caramel has become a beloved treat.
The Science Behind Sea Salt Caramel
To understand what makes sea salt caramel so tasty, let’s break it down into its components – caramel and sea salt.
Caramel is created when sugar is heated to 340°F, causing the sugar molecules to break down. This process is called caramelization. As the sugar breaks down, it takes on a smooth, sweet, nutty flavor and brown color. The taste of caramel comes from hundreds of new flavor compounds that form during caramelization.
Sea salt contains traces of minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium that are absorbed from the ocean. These minerals impart a slightly briny, salty flavor. When just a pinch of flaky sea salt is added to rich caramel, it forms an ionic reaction that enhances and unlocks even more flavor compounds in the caramel.
The combination stimulates our taste buds, providing both sweet and salty flavors. Our brains find this interaction extremely appetizing. The flavors complement and balance each other out beautifully.
A Brief History of Salted Caramel
While salted caramel has recently become fashionable, the pairing of sweet and salty flavors actually has a long history.
• The earliest known recipe for salted caramel dates back to 1720 France, when nuns at the Abbey of Citeaux created a candy called salidou. It combined toasted sugar with butter and cream for a treat during Lent.
• Salted butter caramels were popular Victorian era sweets in England during the 1800s.
• Flakey sea salt from Brittany, France was first used with caramel in 1977 when Henri Le Roux opened his caramel shop. The contrast of flavors became his signature.
• In the 1990s, French pastry chef Pierre Hermé began experimenting with mixing flaky sea salt into creamy caramels. His salted butter caramels took Paris by storm and helped launch the trend.
• In the early 2000s, American chefs started sprinkling a pinch of sea salt on caramel ice cream. The salt helped balance and enhance the sweetness.
• Around 2008, salted caramel spread as an ice cream flavor, latte drink, sauce, and filling. Cronuts with sea salt caramel filling became a foodie obsession by 2014.
The craze for sea salt caramel shows no signs of slowing down. Its popularity has steadily risen over the last decade.
Reasons Why Sea Salt Caramel is So Adored
What is it about sea salt caramel that makes it irresistible? Here are the main reasons it has become a beloved treat:
1. Contrasting Flavors
The first reason sea salt caramel is so enjoyable is the complex interaction between its sweet and salty flavors. The salt enhances the perception of sweetness by contrast. The sweetness of the caramel also cuts the slight edge of the salt, making it more palatable. This yin and yang effect provides sensory excitement and interest for our taste buds.
2. Scientific Pleasure Response
On a scientific level, the balance of sweet and salty flavors triggers our brain’s pleasure centers. Our tongues contain receptors specifically designed to detect sweet tastes. When coupled with saltiness, even more neurons fire to signal deliciousness and satisfaction to the brain. This potent combination lights up the brain’s reward system like fireworks, releasing dopamine that tells us to keep eating!
3. Texture Variations
Sea salt caramel also provides an appealing range of textures. Silky smooth caramel offers a sumptuous feel. Tiny crystals and flakes of sea salt provide little bursts of crunch. This contrast between the creamy caramel and the salt’s crumbly texture adds fun mouthfeel and satisfaction.
4. Deep, Rounded Flavor
Caramel on its own has a rich, toasted, buttery taste. When just a hint of salt is blended in, it unlocks even more savory flavor compounds. The salt helps cut the sweetness to allow more complexity. This creates a deep, nuanced flavor with roasty notes that keeps you coming back for more.
5. Addictive Snackability
Something about the salty sweet taste makes sea salt caramel highly addictive and snackable. The flavors quickly melt together in the mouth with a satisfying flavor burst. Whether drizzled over ice cream or baked into a gooey cookie, sea salt caramel’s craveability makes it easy to overindulge!
Popular Uses for Sea Salt Caramel Today
The possibilities are endless when it comes to using sea salt caramel creatively. Here are some of the most popular ways it is used today:
Baked Goods
Sea salt caramelBake up some magic by adding swirls of sea salt caramel to cookies, brownies, cupcakes, muffins, tarts, pie fillings, and more. The caramel oozes decadently when bitten into warm baked treats.
Ice Cream and Desserts
Drizzle sea salt caramel over scoops of ice cream, especially flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and coffee. Use it as a dip for fresh fruit like apples and pears. Stuff it into crepes or cannoli. Swirl it into cheesecake. The options for dessert are unlimited!
Candy
Sea salt caramel candy is made by cooking caramel to the hard crack stage, around 300°F. Mixing in flaky sea salt while cooling transforms simple candy into a gourmet treat. Create sweet and salty candy apples for a fun twist too.
Sauces and Toppings
Use sea salt caramel sauce as a topping for waffles, pancakes, French toast, and crepes for breakfast. Drizzle it over banana splits and sundaes. Add a swirl to oatmeal or porridge. Use as a topping for cheesecakes or pound cakes. The possibilities are endless.
Fillings
Fill donuts, cupcakes, macarons, whoopie pies, cornbread, crepes, cannoli, eclairs, and more with luscious sea salt caramel for flavor bursting bites. It also makes a scrumptious filling for specialty chocolates like caramels and truffles.
Drinks
Baristas can add sea salt caramel syrup to coffee drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas. Mix it into milkshakes and smoothies. Swirl it into hot chocolate or chai tea lattes for a touch of decadence. Add a drizzle to Irish coffee too.
Snacks
Enjoy the sweet and salty flavors of sea salt caramel with snacks like pretzels, popcorn, nuts, graham crackers, apples, and more. Dip anything you crave into this irresistible sauce!
How to Make Your Own Sea Salt Caramel
Want to try your hand at making sea salt caramel at home? Here is an easy recipe to follow:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1⁄4 cup water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Heat sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.
- Bring to a boil without stirring. Let boil for 5-7 minutes until golden brown (300-310°F on a candy thermometer).
- Remove from heat and carefully stir in heavy cream and butter. The mixture will steam and bubble up. Stir until smooth.
- Mix in sea salt and vanilla. Allow to cool slightly before using or storing.
- Use immediately as a sauce, or let harden fully before using for candy or fillings.
Be very careful when cooking caramel. The high temperatures can cause severe burns. Use mitts and long sleeves. Enjoy your homemade sea salt caramel on ice cream, fruit, or anything your sweet tooth desires!
Where to Find the Best Sea Salt Caramels
While making your own is fun, buying gourmet sea salt caramels is also a delicious option. Here are some top artisan shops crafting candy, chocolates, or sauces with this popular flavor:
Caramel Shops
- L’Artisan du Chocolat – UK
- Henri Le Roux – France
- Alma de Licha – Mexico
- Caramel Kitchen – San Francisco, CA
- Caramélia – Brazil
Chocolatiers
- Christopher Elbow – Kansas City, MO
- Fran’s Chocolates – Seattle, WA
- Hard Bean – Leicester, UK
- MarieBelle – New York City, NY
Ice Cream Brands
- Salt & Straw – OR and CA
- Ample Hills Creamery – Brooklyn, NY
- Bi-Rite Creamery – San Francisco, CA
- McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream – Southern CA
Tracking down artisan sea salt caramels may take some searching, but it’s worth it to experience their incredible flavor. The combination of tastes and textures make this one of the world’s most craveable treats.
Why Sea Salt Caramel Has Become So Wildly Popular
It’s easy to see why salted caramel has become a global sensation. The mixture of sweet caramel flavors with the slight savoriness of sea salt creates a heavenly alchemy of tastes and textures. Science shows the complementary flavors cause our brains to light up with joy. The result is a deeply satisfying and addictive treat unlike anything else.
While salted sweets have a long history, it was innovating French pastry chefs in recent decades who helped launch sea salt caramel into the stratosphere of popularity. Both professional and home cooks now endlessly experiment with exciting new ways to enjoy this beloved flavor.
Part of the appeal is also how easy salted caramel is to work with. It can be used to transform everything from candies to cookies, ice creams, sauces, drizzles, and drink flavors. The possibilities are endless. There is also satisfaction to be found in making your own at home.
For many, sea salt caramel evokes nostalgia and comfort. It provides the perfect blend of sweet decadence with a touch of salty savoriness. The next time your sweet tooth calls, enjoy the complex splendor of this magical flavor combination.