GOURMET SALT WHO KNEW?

Okay, as each day passes nearer & near to the 25th, I ask myself, "what gift can I give that has not be over done?" Then by a stroke of luck I saw a terrific segment on a t.v. show regarding the newest gourmet craz, salt. I said to myself, "it's salt". But, I became more & more fascinated with the varieties and their origins. One of the retailers that was mentioned was an enchanting business called The Meadow, in Portland, Oregon. Leave it to Portlander's to have the newest & the coolest in shopping. For the rest of us who are not as fortunate to live in the beautiful city, we can order online.
There is an incredible array of different salts from all over the world, all with their own distinct flavors and textures. There are finishing salts, flaked & curring salts, as well as course and fine varieties. Salts from Okinawa, the Bali Reef, Brazilian, Vietnamese Pearl, India's Volcanic Black, & Sugar Maple Smoked Salt from Maine, to barely get started. You can buy sets starting @ $23.95.

For those of us that are a bit more tight with our budgets, I noticed at my favorite grocery store that sells gourmet, & organic foods in bins, are now carrying these specialized salts. I purchased an array of them & put them in spice jars picked up at my local Ikea. A set of 4 "Rajtan" jars are $2.99. To really top it off I used a Brother P Touch label maker to produce quality labels for naming each variety. Once all done, it was a gift for under $25. There are many sights (such as igourmet.com) online to help spark your own gift giving genius.

If this idea is too salty, explore the sweet side of gourmet chocolates.