Some experimentation adds flavor to specialty seasonings

A few years ago, Rob Seideman received a sample of something called Danish Viking-smoked sea salt at the cooking school he and his wife ran in Aspen. Not knowing what it was, he sprinkled some on an onion and anchovy tart that his class had just made and gave it a try.

Almost instantly, Seideman was hooked. ``It was absolutely delicious," he says of the dark brown salt that has been described as tasting ``like a bonfire." Seideman's discovery of Viking smoked salt eventually led him to launch Salt Traders, which sells salts from around the world.

Flavored salts -- those that have been smoked or blended with herbs, spices, or other flavorings -- are an increasingly popular option among those experimenting with specialty salts. Fans say the blends can provide more complex combinations of flavors, giving salts a unique spicy or sweet edge that enhances food.

Seideman uses smoked salt to add a punch of flavor to simple dishes such as eggs, baked potatoes, and chowders. His company also sells several blended salts, including a saffron variety that Seideman likes on lobster, a truffle salt that he serves with vichysoisse, and a special margarita salt made of Australian Murray River salt flakes and ground chipotles.

In Ipswich, Didi Davis, a professionally trained chef and instructor, also makes blends. She says she had a salt epiphany in Paris, where she first tried vanilla salt and decided to start making and selling her own. She blends vanilla beans with fleur de sel, and likes to serve the mixture on melon, popcorn, corn on the cob, even pork tenderloin.

Davis, who sells through her website and at local farmers ' markets, also makes both sweet and spicy paprika salts, and a fennel-thyme salt, which pairs with sweet and savory foods. ``People are so interested in new and interesting flavors," Davis says.

Within a few years of launching the Maine Sea Salt Co. in 1998, Steve Cook was experimenting with flavored salts. Now he has his own smoked salts, which he likes on meats. His company produces lemon salt with dried and ground whole lemons. An easier method, Cook admits, would be to use lemon rind, but he likes the whole-lemon approach because the sprinkles are sweeter. ``The salt smells just like a lemon drop." --EMILY SHARTIN