Meet the Producer: Katie Das

Founder and owner of Das Foods

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Katie Das’ passion for cooking with the finest ingredients—matched by her love of travel—led her to create Chicago-based Das Foods. The foundation for her endeavors? Sea salt.

“Salt is essential to cooking, yet back in the late ’90s, I couldn’t find any salt other than the regular table salt on store shelves,” she says. “I discovered Fleur De Sel and the various Hawaiian salts during my travels and fell in love with their texture, flavor and their unique ability to turn ordinary dishes into an elevated eating experience.”

Eager to introduce a line of six gourmet cooking and finishing salts, she signed up for a World of Chocolate philanthropic event in November 2006, organized by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Quickly realizing she needed chocolate in her presentation, Das dug up a recipe that was given to her by an innkeeper during a trip to Guerande, France, that uses Fleur De Sel French sea salt. After two months of kitchen experimentation, Das Caramelini Caramels were born and became the cornerstone for Das’s quickly growing line of sweets and salts.

Das Foods now boasts six Salted Caramel flavors, made with natural ingredients procured from small, Midwest farms. Other offerings include the gourmet salts as well as macaroons and lollipops in “grown-up” flavors like Maple Syrup & Bacon. Das Foods donates 10 percent of profits to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and collaborates with the foundation on events every year.

Das shares more with foodspring.com:

What is your favorite item in your line and why?

Unquestionably, Fleur De Sel. It is so light and delicious and can be used in so many diverse dishes, from appetizers to desserts. It comes from Brittany and we source it directly from the farmer cooperative in Guerande, France. I like to compare it to the foam on top of the cappuccino—lots of flavor and great texture.

Who is your culinary idol and why?

The great Julia Child is an everyday inspiration because of her approachable style, devotion to traditional technique and everlasting girl power! She is the original Super Girl!

What’s your guilty food pleasure?

I come from Eastern Europe so it is everything pickled: herring, pickles, beets. I have yet to meet a pickled vegetable that I did not like.

Best meal ever?

Hard to say, but the latest one was a five-course dinner at a small Basque-inspired restaurant in Paris, called L'Ami Jean. The original whole foie gras was unbelievable, especially when paired with porcini mushrooms. I can still taste it.

If you weren’t running a specialty food company, what would you be doing instead?

My number-one choice would be to go back to research and development and become a new-flavor scout who travels the world looking for the new and interesting spices and flavors to bring back. My number-two choice would be to run a fabulous vintage clothing store in Chicago where we would have the best selection of shoes and scarves. I love great fashion. I think just like it is the case with gourmet food, great fashion should be accessible for everyone.

Aside from your products, what three items can you always find in your kitchen?

Prosciutto, great olive oil and Greek yogurt.—Denise Shoukas