Why are salt and pepper the top seasonings?

CBS News

01-07-2025

It's a pairing so perfect that their names have come to symbolize dynamic duos. They're a staple from restaurant tables to kitchen tables.
Customers entering Eggy's Diner might not yet know what they're going to order, but you can guarantee waiting for them at every table is the quintessential Yin and Yang of the spice world -- salt and pepper.
Vince Henry skips the salt.
"It would have to be a really bland meal for me to salt up something, I don't use salt too much," he said, adding that he leans on salt's zesty counterpart. "Just always been in the habit of using pepper. It gives it that little snap without really spice."
While he keeps it simple, Chef Mary Matthews embraces the vast flavors and colors these two seasonings offer.
"I am a salt and pepper nerd," Matthews said as she surveyed roughly a dozen different salts and peppers from her kitchen cabinet.
Matthews teaches at the Way Cool Cooking School in Eden Prairie.
Why are salt and pepper the top seasonings?
"Rumor has it we do as the royals do," said Matthews.
Food historians say that King Louis XIV was a picky eater who shunned most spices, except for two.
"What he did always have at this table was salt and pepper," said Matthews.
Salt had long been a table staple going back thousands of years, but spices like pepper were considered a luxury during the Louis XIV's reign in 17th century since it came from southeast Asia.
"And as that spread through nobility, it spread through Europe and it spread over to the age of discovery and here (in the U.S)," said Matthews.
The contrast in color is echoed in their uses. Salt enhances flavors, tenderizes meat and brings out moisture. Pepper adds warmth, depth and some spice.
How can we best use salt?
Matthews highlights three steps. First, use salt as your preparing the meal to take moisture out of the food and make it easier to cook and season. Next, season as you're cooking while making sure to taste the food along the way. Lastly, finish the meal with a coarser salt to make the flavors pop.
Matthews uses salt flakes in particular as she's plating a meal.
"That doesn't mean to add a tablespoon of salt three different times to your meal, but just adjusting and tasting as you go," she said.
How can we best use pepper?
"If you want a milder pepper flavor, I recommend using a white ground pepper, or green pepper corn because they're fresher," she said. "Also, invest in a grinder since grinding pepper yourself will better bring out its oils and aroma."
If you could add a third seasoning to the group to make it a trio, what would you add?
After joking that it would be like asking her to pick her favorite child or pet, Matthews said pick a seasoning you would consider your "signature move."
Options that come to mind for her include cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic powder. Each add a new dimension of flavor, but it's fair to say salt and pepper's destiny will remain as a duo.