Taiwanese Salt their Coffee

TAIPEI (Reuters) - "Taiwanese java fans accustomed to pouring sugar into their coffee now have the option of flavoring their brew with another white powder: sea salt.

Taipei's buzzing 85C Bakery Cafe is offering a T$40 ($1.15) drink which melts sea salt into the coffee foam to give a more complex mouthful for customers constantly seeking out the new in the island's competitive coffeehouse market.

The cafe chain expects salt to hold, said company's publicity director Kathy Chung. The cafe's 326 stores islandwide have sold about 15,000 cups of salted drinks since the concept was introduced in December, Chung said."

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE51P16420090226

Can't say I'm surprised. I sprinkled caramel salt on a latte a month ago. I will, however, admit that I prefer sugar-in-the-raw for its sweet taste and coarse crunch.

But that's my morning foam.

Sticky buns Recipe

Cinnamon rolls with Caramel sea salt.

Cinnamon dough recipe:

- 1 cup water

- .25 oz of dry yeast

- 3 tbl sugar

- 5 cups all purpose flour

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 cup cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp olive oil

- 2 tbl butter

Caramel sauce recipe:

- 2 cups water

- 2.5 cups sugar

- 1 3/4 cup heavy cream

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1 cup of luke warm water in a mixing bowl and add yeast, letting it bloom for 3 min. Stir until fully incorporated. Add both sugar and the flour and mix into a dough.

Use olive oil to grease another mixing bowl. Place dough inside and rub remaining oil on top of the dough and let stand covered until the dough doubles in size. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead and roll it out until it is a square that is about 1/4 inch thick.

Melt the butter and brush the dough with some butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon onto the dough. Roll up the dough into a cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 1 inch long portions and turn each on its side, placing onto a buttered 9" by 11" baking dish. Brush the tops of the buns with butter and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and butter on top. Place into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

While the buns are in the oven, prepare the caramel sauce. Place the sugar and water into a sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Once the mixture starts to boil, brush any crystals off the side of the pan with a basting brush and water. Reduce the mixture until it is a deep cafe brown color, but not burnt. Turn off heat and add the heavy cream and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Take buns out of the oven and let cool for 10 min or until they start to pop out of the pan. Turn the rolls over and spoon caramel sauce over the top.

Garnish with Secret Stash Caramel sea salt. Bon appetito!

http://www.secretsalts.com/Caramel-Sea-Salt.html