Suoloitus

Suoloitus is a Finnish term for the act of salting or seasoning food with salt. In culinary contexts it describes the process of applying salt to foods to improve flavor and to aid preservation. The term encompasses variations such as dry salting, wet salting (brining), and combinations with rubs, spice blends, or aromatics.

Dry salting involves coating the surface of the food with salt, often with optional sugar, spices, or herbs, and letting it rest. Wet salting, or brining, submerges the food in a salt solution, sometimes with added herbs, sugar, or nitrites for color and texture. The methods and durations vary by product and regional tradition, with timing ranging from hours to days or weeks for certain meats and fish.

The primary purposes are flavor enhancement and moisture management. Salt dissolves in water and draws out moisture by osmosis, while also reducing water activity to inhibit many microbes, thereby aiding preservation. Salt can also influence texture, promoting curing reactions in meat and rind formation in cheeses.

Historically, salting is one of the oldest food preservation techniques, documented across many cultures long before the advent of refrigeration. Today suoloitus remains common in home cooking and artisanal production and is often used in combination with other curing agents or flavorings.

In Finnish culinary usage, suoloitus denotes the act of applying salt and is a distinct concept from other seasoning methods. The term commonly appears in recipes, culinary literature, and food science discussions.