2019-09-02 Bloomberg Businessweek

27

Bloomberg

Businessweek

/

SEPTEMBER

2,

2019

THE

ELEMENTS

The Salt King of

America

11

Na

Sodium

By Andrew Zaleski Ben Jacobsen wants people to think differently

about sodium chloride

Photographs by Shawn Records

B

enJacobsenisstandingoveroneoftherectangular

oysterpansthatfilleachdaywithabout8,000gallons

ofseawaterfromnearbyNetartsBay,a protectedestu-

aryalongOregon’snortherncoast.Hethrustsanindexfinger

towarda tiny,translucentspeckbeneaththesurfaceofthe

brackish,near-gelatinouswater.Thespeckjoinsanother,then

another,untila dime-sizeclusterforms.Asthecrystaldrifts

tothebottomofthepan,Jacobsengrins.“Beautiful,”hesays.

Theflakesaredifferentfromthesaltyoumightsprinkle

onfriesata diner:larger,brighter,crunchier,and,if thedis-

cerningtastebudsofNorthAmericanchefsaretobebelieved,

moreflavorful.JacobsenSaltCo.’s“pureflakefinishingsalt”

hasmadehimpopularwithMichelin-starredrestaurants,taco

trucks,Williams-Sonomastores,smallgrocers,andAntoni

PorowskiofQueerEye. “Thewayit dissolvesisdifferent.

There’sthisbrininessasopposedtothismouth-deadening

salt flavor,” says Megan Sanchez, co-owner and chef at

Güero, a restaurant in Portland, Ore., known for its tortas.

Jacobsen,who’s43,andotherswhosharehispassion

havehelpedtochangehowAmericansthinkaboutsalt—

themarriageofsodiumandchlorine,andsometimespotas-

siumandiodine.Theglobalmarketforgourmetsalttotaled

$1.1billionin2016;it’sexpectedtogrowto$1.5billion in

thenextdecade.Jacobsen’srostersofarincludeshisflake

salt,a coarsekoshersaltforeverydaycooking,anda lineof

flavor-infused salts, such as an outré blend of smoked chili

peppers and San Pablo worms harvested from Mexico’s

Oaxaca Valley. He’s also created a line of salt-based season-

ings for meats and ramen. “Salt is one of those things, in the

U.S. at least, that has been pretty easily overlooked,” he says.

“So I think we’re fortunate to get some attention. But I also

think we make the best salt on the planet.”

Jacobsen found his calling after a detour through Silicon

Valley. He attended high school in Portland and got a degree

◼ Sodium $110 / kg 5-pound bag of Jacobsen pure flake finishing salt