Gone are the days of baked Alaska. Cruise lines and resorts can no longer hang their laurels solely on secret sauces or onboard luaus. Modern tourists no longer simply go to a place to stand in front of dead history for a photo-op. The modern traveler craves a connection to a destination, some lasting link to the land, people, and cultures of the destinations they visit.
Silversea has created a remarkable initiative to allow guests to delve deeper into the cultures and traditions of each destination through cuisine. Today we board the Silver Moon for a culinary journey that will change the way cruisers experience
The Concept
S.A.L.T. is a multifaceted culinary revolution. The concept plays out across multiple venues and its elements extend into your entire cruise experience. S.A.L.T. stands for Sea And Land Taste. It is currently only available on the Silver Moon and was designed by Adam Sachs, former editor and chief of Saveur Magazine.
S.A.L.T. uses partnerships with local historians, farmers, vintners, chefs, and experts of the regions visited to source authentic local ingredients and prepare them in the culinary traditions of the destination. Guests will follow the story of the land through the journey of their ingredients from the soil they are grown in, to the markets, they are purchased from, to the kitchen they will be prepared in, and learn the significance of these resources to the people who depend on them.
S.A.L.T Ashore
We begin the journey on land. S.A.LT. Ashore is the land portion of the program guests will join chefs, foodies, and local food culture experts on tours of production facilities, farms, vineyards, or marketplaces to select ingredients, learn the story of the ingredients, how they are produced, how they are prepared, who eats them, and how they are enjoyed.
For example, in Greece, you may visit an olive orchard hosted by the latest in a long lineage of farmers to own and work the land. Your host picks fresh olives off the tree and explains the method of harvest and the finer points of production. Then you enjoy a private demonstration of how the olives are preserved or pressed into oil. Later a local chef prepares a traditional dish using these ingredients picked moments ago for you to enjoy.
These experiences change from itinerary to itinerary and region to region ensuring a fresh experience for each visitor.
S.A.L.T. Lab
Onboard guests will have access to the S.A.L.T. Lab, a training kitchen, fully stocked with the local ingredients from each destination. Guests can follow along with Silverseas Culinary experts onboard as they prepare a local dish under the watchful guidance of a seasoned professional. Guests will get hands-on experience with the traditional preparation and ingredients of each destination that they will hopefully carry with them into their kitchens upon returning home.
In keeping with our example from Greece, guests enter the S.A.L.T. Lab and take up a station at one of the preparation counters. In the center of the room, a chef guides each group through a demonstration of how to use pickled grape leaves to make dolmas. While they prepare the food they explain the significance of this meal preparation as a form of food preservation and why its use was born of necessity for survival in the region. Meanwhile, each guest is rolling their grape leaves with their own hands and gaining cultural enrichment in an interactive setting.
S.A.L.T. Kitchen
S.A.LT. Kitchen is the restaurant onboard the Silver Moon where the S.A.L.T. experience continues. Here Silversea’s professional culinary teams prepare guests bespoke meals featuring regional favorites and locally sourced ingredients. The revolving menu changes with each new locale.
Guests enjoy their meals in a warm inviting ambiance, surrounded by local trinkets and artifacts that serve as the decor and a subtle nod to the art and traditions of each destination visited.
S.A.L.T. Bar
No meal is complete without a cocktail pairing. S.A.L.T. Bar is a cozy little bar reminiscent of a New York speakeasy. The bartender serves craft cocktails like the signature Selene, the Moon. This Smoke bubble topped medley of gin, apricot, maraschino, peaches, and citrus is just an example of the creative signature beverages served. Silversea’s mixologists approach the ingredients with the same adventurous spirit as the chefs.
The marble-topped bar, mood lighting, and close quarters are surrounded by a collection of ornate bottles, giving the entire room the ambiance of a victorian apothecary shop. Each unique bottle a subtle hint back to the wine and spirits of the lands of their origin.
S.A.L.T. Talks
Silversea invites regional culinary experts and regional historians onboard for lectures and presentations focused on the food culture of each destination. Often held on sea days, these presentations can be hosted by anyone from historians to cookbook authors. Yet another layer of destination immersion through everyone’s favorite cultural equalizer, food.
As you can see the demand for new, destination-specific, cultural experiences has inspired cruise lines to elevate the quality of their offerings. Silversea has creatively sewn culinary exploration through every aspect of the cruise experience with S.A.L.T.
This initiative is sure to lead the future of Silversea’s onboard experience. It is currently only available on the Silver Moon, a fact that is easily missed without the knowledge and experience of a seasoned travel advisor. Luxury Cruise Connections expert advisors and concierge team are standing by to reserve your seat at the table at the S.A.L.T. Kitchen
