no products in the cart
i always have a jar or small bowl of aleppo salt within reach in my kitchen. what's cool about it is that it isn't unique to me; my brother and some close arab friends i have operate the same way in their kitchens. it wasn't even some professional tip or recommendation from me. i think we just eat enough of each others food that we have similar palettes and think similarly about cooking. it's one of my favorite things about cooking with people - the experimenting and blending flavors and ingredients we love so much.
so aleppo salt isn't ever hidden in a drawer somewhere in the kitchen. it's always there, front and center, waiting for the next dish or snack. and yeah, it’s not about making things spicy. it’s about complementing and bringing out the finer notes of a food, so it makes things clearer and more complete.
when something i’m cooking is close but not quite there, this is usually what i reach for. a pinch of aleppo salt almost always brings it home.
when something i’m cooking is close but not quite there, this is usually what i reach for. a pinch of aleppo salt almost always brings it home.
why professionals love it
what separates aleppo salt from your usual finishing salts or chili flakes?
three main things:
- flavor clarity - it adds warmth and brightness without masking what’s already there
- texture - the flake size offers crunch without feeling coarse or jagged
- balance - it’s just the right mix of salinity, subtle heat, and a whisper of citrus
it’s what chefs call a "corrective ingredient", so when something is 90% of the way there, aleppo salt often gets it to 100%.
it plays well with a few categories of ingredients naturally too, like buttery or rich dishes (to cut through the fat), or earthy dishes like lentils, eggplant, or mushrooms (to lift the flavor), and even simple meals like fried eggs or grilled bread (to make them feel complete).
when i’m finishing a dish, whether it’s grilled vegetables, labneh, fried eggs, or a stew, this salt gives the final layer of flavor that'll be the first thing you taste. if you’ve ever taken a bite of food and thought "it needs something... but I don’t know what", this is definitely it. it beats regular salt in almost every application too.
tasting notes - why i use it
i think one of the reasons i love this salt so much is that it doesn’t just do one thing. aleppo salt isn’t a single note; you experience it in stages. so the initial hit is a clean saltiness with a slight crunch, then a mellow, round chili warmth (not sharp), then a citrusy brightness like lemon peel before a smooth, sun-dried smokiness that lingers for a bit.
the pepper in this blend isn’t a background player; it’s actually grown for this purpose. it’s described as being fruity, round, and full-bodied, and not hot for the sake of being spicy. yeah, as i'm talking about it now, i'm reminded that there’s a reason it shows up in so many test kitchens. it helps chefs think through flavor, not just season it.
the final moment is key - how i use it
you don’t need a restaurant kitchen. just a confident hand, a good eye, and treating it like a finishing move.
here are some of my go-to's that are really simple but make all the difference when using aleppo salt correctly:
- over fried or poached eggs for crunch and contrast
- on roasted vegetables right as they come out of the oven
- sprinkled over hummus or baba ghanoush for texture
- on raw tomatoes or sliced citrus to amplify brightness (or even something sweet like peaches)
- sprinkled onto labneh with a little lemon zest
- over a pasta dish before it hits the table—especially ones with butter or olive oil
- mixed into softened butter or oil as a dip or spread
- or simply on a piece of warm bread with olive oil
and of course, like any good finishing salt, add just a bit, taste, then maybe a little more.
an important general rule of thumb in the kitchen, which can be applied to other parts of life as well, is that the best ingredients aren’t necessarily the ones that do everything. the same way we think about a specialist versus a jack-of-all-trades. in my opinion, the best ingredients are the ones that do specific things well and that get you to your goal without diluting or muddling flavor. aleppo salt is one of those ingredients. it rounds out and sharpens a palate, and finishes a meal really well without being overpowering. it's tough to argue with that and not use it everyday.
so if you’ve got it on hand, use it. use it generously. keep it close to the stove, or right on the table. trust your taste, and if something feels like it’s missing, start with a pinch.
thank you to every one of you who continually support our small family business, allow me to share my musings, and give me the opportunity to live my dream by serving our community the food that i love (and live) to eat.
peace, love, and toum,
chef mohammad abutaha
