Japanese Company Goes Viral After Inventing Spoon That Makes Food Taste Saltier Without Actually Adding Sodium

For many people, saltier is better when it comes to food. In fact, some people salt their food without even taking a bite, ignoring the negative effect the added sodium will have on their health.

But the Japanese company Kirin Holdings may have come up with a solution for those who crave that salty/umami kick.

In an invention that would make Willy Wonka jealous, Kirin released the "Electric Salt Spoon," which uses an electric current to make the food you're eating taste saltier, all while avoiding any added sodium.

The spoon was launched a couple of years ago and it doesn't come cheap—it's currently priced at $200. That does leave one to wonder if it's a worthwhile purchase, or, for that matter, if it even works?

TikToker @classybougiebudget recently put the spendy spoon to the test in a video that has gone on to receive over three million views:

He began the nearly two-minute video by saying he'd recently made soup that didn't taste salty enough, and he felt this was a perfect opportunity to put the costly spoon to the test.

He then explained how the spoon sends an electrical current, "similar to sodium ions," to make food taste saltier.

After unboxing the spoon, revealing that the item comes in two pieces with a detachable handle and the spoon itself (batteries included), @classybougiebudget highlighted a metal part of the spoon where the electrical current comes through. He also pointed out how the spoon came with three settings, resulting in three increasing levels of saltiness.

The moment of truth finally came when @classybougiebudget installed the batteries and turned on the spoon, setting it to the lowest setting, and took a sip of his broth. A huge smile spread across his face, suggesting that the spoon was worth it's $200 price tag.

He then compared the Salt Spoon to a regular spoon and said, "Oh my God, it literally tastes like there's MSG in it."

Perhaps still not convinced, @classybougiebudget then set his spoon to the saltiest level, and compared it to his regular spoon, saying, "It tases so much better with the spoon!"

@classybougiebudget ended the video with a final review of sorts on the product:

"This was almost $200, and I would be really pissed if it didn't work, and now that it does [interrupted by a sip], this is super cool."

Viewers of the video had a somewhat divided reaction.

Many felt this was a wonderful solution for people who love salty food but need to minimize sodium intake, while some expressed hope for this to be a springboard for similar inventions:

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

Others remained unconvinced:

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

@classybougiebudget/TikTok

The spoon got an equally divided reaction when @classybougiebudget's video started making the rounds on X (formerly Twitter):

Do you think that salty hit is really worth $200?