Professional chefs swear by a pinch of salt for taste or for seasoning. Using the pinch method is a very common method of seasoning dishes, in fact so common that most people do not know the logic or rationale behind it. Here’s decoding what ‘a pinch’ really means and how it elevates the game of seasoning.
A pinch usually refers to grabbing a dry ingredient like salt, pepper, or other powdered spices like chilli powder or turmeric in between the thumb and index finger. This is one of the most primitive ways of measuring an ingredient, where you need very little of that particular ingredient for taste or colour and you don’t need to follow any exact measurement for the same. Generally speaking, a pinch amounts to approximately 1/16th of a teaspoon.
Using the pinch method is the easiest way of cooking. Grab the ingredient and sprinkle it evenly onto the plate or pan by rubbing the thumb and index fingers together. Sprinkling it all over the dish helps in the somewhat even distribution of the ingredient. Give your dish a good stir and to a taste check for flavours. If all is good, you can proceed with the next steps, and if any adjustments are required, you can make it immediately.
A pinch is often compared to two other approximated forms of measurement, namely, a smidgen and a dash. A dash is equivalent to when you take some sauce or juice from the pack in the first go. A dash also refers to the use of salt and pepper shakers on the table which is more than a pinch in measurement.
A smidgen on the other hand, is possibly the smallest amount to measure. It is usually picked up in your fingertips. This can be in the case of using very strong ingredients like nutmeg or wasabi, or it is also used to grab a small amount of the dish itself to do a taste check.
Thus, in cooking, all three forms of approximate measurements are important and used in our daily life to elevate the flavours of the dish.
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