Salt Fat Acid Heat

American documentary cooking show on Netflix

Food
Documentary

Based onSalt Fat Acid Heat by Samin NosratDirected byCaroline SuhStarringSamin NosratTheme music composerFall On Your SwordNo. of seasons1No. of episodes4 (list of episodes)ProductionExecutive producers

Bet Cotner
Alex Gibney
Zana Lawrence
Lisa Nishimuru
Samin Nosrat
Stacey Offman
Caroline Suh
Stefano Biraghi

CinematographyLuke McCoubreyRunning time40–48 minutesProduction companyJigsaw ProductionsOriginal releaseNetworkNetflixReleaseOctober 11, 2018 (2018-10-11)

Salt Fat Acid Heat is an American cooking documentary television series starring Samin Nosrat. Based on her 2017 book of the same name, the four-part series premiered on Netflix on October 11, 2018.

The show and book's title comes from Nosrat's proposed four elements of successful cooking: salt, fat, acid, and heat.^[1] Each installment of the series focuses on a particular element, with Nosrat traveling to a different location to demonstrate how the element is used in local cuisine.^[2] In each episode, Nosrat has guides who walk her through their homeland's cuisine while she pulls out the lessons related to each fundamental element.^[3] The show is "part how-to guide for home cooks of all skill levels and part aspirational travelogue".^[3]

Episodes

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"Fat"	October 11, 2018 (2018-10-11)
Nosrat visits Italy, looking at important fats in foods including olive oil, cheese, and meat.
2	"Salt"	October 11, 2018 (2018-10-11)
In Japan, Nosrat explores how salt is included in traditional cuisine, including soy sauce and miso.
3	"Acid"	October 11, 2018 (2018-10-11)
Nosrat goes to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico to learn about different kinds of acid in cooking.
4	"Heat"	October 11, 2018 (2018-10-11)
Nosrat returns to her hometown, Berkeley, California, and visits Chez Panisse, the first restaurant she worked at, where she discusses the importance of heat. She also hosts a feast in her home, cooking alongside her Iranian mother.

Reception

The show has received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a 100% approval rating based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 7.5 out of 10.^[4]

Maura Judkis of The Washington Post called it "unlike any other food show on TV", particularly mentioning the high proportion of women and home cooks featured on the show.^[1]

For Eater, Greg Morabito described Nosrat as "a charming host", and applauded her and director Caroline Suh for conceiving of a "completely new style of culinary TV show".^[5]

Doreen St. Félix's review in The New Yorker ascribed the show's success to "Nosrat's uncommon earnestness on camera".^[6] St. Félix also described how the show gives viewers a feeling of nostalgia for something most people have not experienced: local, high-quality ingredients enjoyed in the beautiful vistas of their countries of origin.^[6]

History

Nosrat began teaching cooking classes in 2007 and found it a very inefficient way of teaching. Even before she wrote the book on which the TV show is based, she thought about TV as a great way to reach a wider audience. She recalled the moment:

"And after two or three classes, I was like, Man, if I had a TV show, I could get to so many people … Just like I had not seen a book that sets out to teach, I had not seen a show that really sets out to teach."^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b Judkis, Maura (2018-10-15). "Netflix's new 'Salt Fat Acid Heat' is unlike any other food show on TV". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
^ Polis, Carey (2018-10-10). "'Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat' Is the New Netflix Series That's Very Much Worth Your Time". Bon Appetit. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c Giorgis, Hannah (2018-10-14). "Samin Nosrat Wants You to Cook With 'Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
^ "Salt Fat Acid Heat: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
^ Morabito, Greg (2018-10-13). "'Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat' Is a New Kind of Food TV Show". Eater. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b St.Félix, Doreen (2018-11-08). "Samin Nosrat's Sensual, Compassionate Food Travels in "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat"". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-12-27.