Samin Nosrat's Biggest Fan

"Nosrat opens the episode in an unnamed salt shop, going through a tasting with a clerk. She learns the finer the salt, the more immediate punch of saltiness on her tongue. She then travels to Kami-kamagari island with her chef friend, Yuri, and learns how sea salt is made at the Moshio Salt Factory."

"Nosrat’s lesson in soy sauce comes from Yasuo Yamamoto, proprietor of Yamaroku Shoyu, where the traditional version is made."

"On Shodo island, the host visits with food writer Nancy Singleton Hachisu and learns the art of miso from a woman named Kazumi, who is declared to be a “miso master.” Near the end of the episode, Nosrat, Hachisu, and Yuri prepare a meal in Hachisu’s home. They make boiled eggs seasoned with miso, tai meshi, a soup comprised of the Japanese tai fish, dashi, and rice."

"Nosrat learns how to make focaccia in the traditional way of Liguria, Italy, which means the bread must never be more than about two inches tall when it comes out of the oven. The dough is slathered in olive oil, which imparts a fruity flavor, a good crumb, and a crunchy crust. That’s followed by a tutorial in pesto, which uses fats from pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil, to form a sauce."

"Nosrat gets her lesson in olive oil from Paolo and Franco Roi, brothers and proprietors of the lauded Olio Roi company, at their olive orchard and factory."

In the town of Tixcacaltuyub, Samin learns about Melipona honey, some of the world's most prized honey, from her guide, Andrea Figueroa, and hosts Doña Pascuala and Don Carlos (who, according to the Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat website are affiliated with the Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya)As our host explains, although honey is usually considered a sweet ingredient, it’s actually a sour food that hovers near the middle of the pH scale.

"Lorenzo Chini, a Tuscan butcher who can traces his family’s business in the meat business to the 1600s, transforms a whole pig into a selection of salumi at his shop Macelleria Chini."

"Nosrat and Yuri procure the fish from the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo."

"At Chez Panisse, Nosrat learns the nuances of chef Amy Dencler’s use of open flame grilling. Dencler creates several “heat zones” in the fire by moving around different temperatures of coals so that things like steaks cook evenly on the grill."

"Nosrat then visits the Berkeley Bowl West grocery store where she and the butcher discuss the role that fat content plays in building flavor for meat dishes."