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Chicken Salt

February 2, 2026 • Leave a comment • Posted in: australia, chicken, seasoning

If you love seasoned fries, you’re going to love chicken salt. For the uninitiated, you’re probably wondering what the heck is chicken salt. Is it chicken? Is it salt? The answer is yes. And it’s amazing on everything.

What is chicken salt?

Australia has a secret umami bomb you may never have heard of. Basically, it's a seasoning blend full of punchy, mouth-watering, umami rich flavors. It's the default seasoning blend sprinkled on fast food fries down under. It’s beloved and revered and sprinkled on just about anything to add a fairy dusting of flavor.

What is chicken salt made of?

Gourmet versions start with roasted, braised, dried, salted chicken, which is then dehydrated and blended with salt and a variety of spices. The usual seasoning suspects are salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper. Commercial versions on the other hand is made with chicken bouillon (more on that below). Basically, it's chicken flavored spices.

Why is it called chicken salt?

Surprisingly (for me) chicken salt is called thus because it actually contains chicken. Although some commercial ones may not, the original recipe definitely has chicken bouillon in it.

Who invented chicken salt?

Chicken salt comes to us via Australia from Peter Brinkworth, a chicken shop owner in the 1970s. Originally, this spice blend was for his roast chicken, but when the shop sold in the late 70s, the new owners (the Mitani’s) reformulated it and sold it commercially as a seasoning. The rest is history. Chicken salt is now the most common seasoning on fries in Australia. Ironically, the version that Mitani now sells is completely chicken free, instead comprising of sea salt, rice flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.

How to make chicken salt

It’s as simple as taking all the ingredients below and mixing them together evenly. Afterward, store in an air tight container.

Chicken salt ingredients

• chicken bouillon powder: this is what is going to give us our chicken flavor. Take a look at the chicken powder ingredients, making sure that chicken is an ingredient. It’s what’s going to give your chicken powder that huge umami flavor you’re looking for. More on chicken bouillon powder below.
• garlic powder: garlic powder is straight up garlic that has been dehydrated and ground up into a fine powder. Make sure you get garlic powder, not garlic salt. You want to get a garlic powder that has only dehydrated garlic. Garlic powder is a perfect way to add pure garlic flavor without peeling fresh cloves.
• onion powder: same for the onion powder. Onion powder should be only dehydrated onion ground into a fine powder for pure onion flavor.
• sweet paprika: a touch of sweet paprika adds a hint of smokiness, a pop or red, and a bit of a sweet fruity flavor.
• salt: you need salt for this the best part of making your own is that you can customize the amount of salt. You can even leave it out entirely, or use a sodium-free substitute.

Short cut chicken salt

If you want all the flavors of chicken salt and don’t want to roast a chicken, dehydrate and powder it, this shortcut is for you. The secret ingredient is chicken bouillon powder.

What is chicken bouillon?

Bouillon is French for “broth” so chicken bouillon is essentially chicken broth. It’s colloquially used as a term for condensed broth/stock that’s available as cubes, granules, powder, paste, or liquid. Chicken bouillon is an amazing short cut to adding chicken flavor to just about everything. It’s used a ton in Chinese cooking. When shopping for chicken powder, look for one that contains chicken. It’s up to you whether or not you want to look for an MSG free powder – there’s lots of discourse on MSG (most of it incorrectly stating that’s it’s horrible and unnatural). Personally, we have no issue with it. My favorite for pure chicken flavor with no other spices is Lee Kum Kee chicken bouillon powder. It’s made with chicken meat, skin, and fat. Lee Kum Kee also makes a MSG-free chicken bouillon, but I haven’t tried it and can't vouch for it.

Vegan chicken salt

If you’re vegan or vegetarian you can still enjoy chicken salt – just use a vegan chicken flavored powder like Orrington Farm’s.

Why make it at home?

You’re probably wondering why I’m urging you to make this, even if you are Australian.

• It tastes amazing. It’s like ranch seasoning or everything bagel spice but much, much more savory and flavorful.
• Even if you do live in Australia, a lot of the commercial ones contains a heck-ton of preservatives.
• You can control the salt content and flavors. The less salt you use, the more chicken flavor you get. You are in control of the sodium content.
• If you’re vegetarian or vegan you can make a chicken-free version.
• It makes a fun, quirky, custom gift for all the chicken lovers in your life!

What can you use chicken salt on?

Basically, everywhere you want a bit of extra umami. Try it on:

• fries for an authentic Australian takeaway classic
• popcorn
• roasted vegetables
• on the rim of a bloody mary or caesar
• sprinkled on rice or even added to the rice while cooking
• mashed potatoes
• cheesy potato balls
• roast chicken
• baked potatoes

More amazing seasoning powders

• Everything bagel seasoning
• Taco seasoning
• Homemade ranch seasoning

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Mini Scallion Pancake Croissants

January 31, 2026 • Leave a comment • Posted in: green onion pancakes, tiktok, viral

I was doom-scrolling through Insta, as one does, and I saw a reel that stopped me immediately: adorably mini scallion pancake croissants. I’m not one to turn my nose up at food hacks, and went to my freezer (which always has frozen green onion pancakes) immediately to make a quick batch. They turned out so cute! Super crispy, full of green onion pancake flavor and easy to make, these lil croissant bites are the perfect thing to make for a quick snack, party appetizer, or game day.

What are scallion pancake croissants?

As far as I can tell, these little croissant bites were invented by @eatingwithkirby. Essentially, she takes premade, scallion pancakes aka green onion pancakes, cuts them into triangles, and rolls them up into little croissant shapes. Brush with an egg wash, sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds, and then either bake or air-fry. It’s pretty genius: scallion pancakes have the same flaky structure as croissants, thanks to the layers of fat. Scallion pancakes are basically an unleavened croissant dough, but with oil and scallions, rolled and flattened. Rolling up scallion pancake dough into a croissant shape gives them an adorable shape while showing off all the flaky layers.

Ingredients for scallion pancake croissants

• premade frozen scallion pancakes - this is the key ingredient. You can make your own scallion pancakes of course but the name of the game here is ease, so go with store-bought. You can find frozen scallion pancakes at any Asian grocery store in the frozen foods aisle. There will be a huge selection. Heck, they even have pancakes without scallions/green onions if that’s what you want. They even sell green onion pancakes at Trader Joe’s. Be sure to get the Taiwanese green onion pancakes, not the Korean scallion pancakes.
• egg wash - an egg whisked with 1 tbsp water brushed onto the tops of the croissant bites help them end up with shiny, golden brown tops.
• toasted sesame seeds - technically you can skip this, but black or white toasted sesame seeds add a touch of whimsy and makes these croissant bites seem more like a real appetizer. Garnish makes everything pretty!

How to make green onion croissants

1. Cut - Let the green onion pancake defrost a bit so it’s easy to cut, then cut it into long triangular strips, as shown in the photo.
2. Roll - roll up the triangles, from the base to the tip. Keep the tip of the croissant tucked underneath.
3. Brush - brush the tops lightly with a bit of egg wash.
4. Sprinkle - sprinkle each mini croissant with toasted black and white sesame seeds.
5. Bake - place the green onion croissants into the basket of an air fryer and air-fry until the tops are golden and crispy and the insides are cooked through, about 10 minutes at 400°F. To bake, place the croissants bites on a parchment paper-lined tray and bake for 15-20 minutes in the 400°F, or until golden and crispy.
6. Enjoy - remove, let cool slightly, and enjoy!

Dip

You can devour these as is, by the handful, but who doesn’t love dip? Mike and I love mixing black vinegar with a touch of soy sauce for a super simple dip. It adds just a bit of acidity and makes these guys even more poppable.

Which green onion pancakes to buy?

If you’re already a fan of green onion pancakes and have a favorite brand, go with that one. Otherwise, for this particular recipe, it’s best to go with a large, thin green onion pancake as it’ll be easier to roll up. Look for one that’s about eight to ten inches wide. If you can’t find ones that are thin, just let your pancake defrost a bit and roll it out slightly with a rolling pin before cutting it into triangles. That’s it! Truthfully green onion pancakes are one of my all-time go-to’s when I’m starving and I need a quick snack so this elevated version elates me. Happy snacking! xoxo steph

PS - In the mood to have a snack party?

• crispy, creamy, crabby heaven
• cheater’s homemade Chinese bbq pork buns
• Taiwanese popcorn chicken over all other popcorn chickens
• I love deep fried food and these ebi-fry (giant crispy breaded shrimp) are to die for

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Easy Viral Salt Bread Recipe

January 29, 2026 • Leave a comment • Posted in: bread, Japanese, korean, tiktok, viral

Crispy, soft, pillowy, and bursting with butter, these Korean salt bread rolls are the best rolls you’ll ever make. Do you ever just want a small amount of bread and are too lazy to go to the bakery to get it? Do you want to try making bread for the first time? If so, salt bread is for you. I’m obsessed with salt bread. When I see it, I want it. Salt bread that’s just out of the oven is amazing and if you’ve ever wandered past a salt bread bakery and seen a line up of eager bread lovers, I hope you joined it. You’ll never forget your first salt bread. The crispy crust, the soft and tender insides, the little melted pool of butter waiting for you like a secret. I know it sounds like hyperbole, but it really is just that good.

The trend is real

Salt bread is one of those things where once you’ve had one roll, you immediately want another. Coming out of Korea, via Japan, salt bread, or sogeum-ppang, is a super popular bakery bread roll that showcases the simple flavors of butter and salt.

What is salt bread?

The name is deceptively simple and descriptive. Salt bread is literally bread. With salt. Don’t discount its deliciousness though. The addictiveness of salt bread lies in the textural contrast: crunchy, crispy butter-fried bottoms with soft, light, pillowy tops. The centers tend to be hollow with a surprise pool of butter waiting for you. Essentially, salt bread is a crescent roll, if crescent rolls were actually good. The basic recipe for salt bread is a milk bread dough, cut into individual portions, rolled up around a frozen baton of butter. When the bread bakes, the butter melts and pools, creating a pool of butter for the bottom of bun.

Where is salt bread from?

The consensus on the origin of salt bread is that it’s a Korean take on the underrated Japanese shio-pan: a salty, buttery bun. Most people now tend to think of salt bread as an “Asian” bread, one that you can find at Asian bakeries like 85°C or dedicated salt bread bakeries. Thanks to the internet, even a humble bun can be viral and that’s where we are now, with people lining up in timed intervals for freshly baked salt bread in Seoul.

How to make salt bread

Now that you’re convinced, let’s make salt bread! If you’ve made bread before, you’ll find this relatively easy. You start out with a regular milk bread dough, then divide it and shape each piece into an extra-long tapered triangle. The essential step is adding a small rectangle of butter on the wide end of the dough and roll it up like a croissant. As the bread bakes, the butter melts slowly while the crust firms up, becoming thin and crisp.

Salt bread ingredients

• flour - bread flour is your friend and if you’re going to endeavor to make salt bread, do yourself a favor and get the bread flour. The difference between all-purpose and bread flour lies in the protein percentage. Bread flour has higher protein which allows it to develop more gluten, leading to a better network of elasticity. More gluten equals more chew and rise, which is what we want in bread.
• water and milk - all bread needs liquid and here we’re going for a mix of water and milk. You can go with all water if you don’t have milk, but the milk adds a nice delicate milky fragrance. If you love shokupan or other Asian breads, it’s probably because it’s milk bread.
• egg - the egg in the dough makes this an enriched dough, giving the salt bread more flavor as well as helping it bake up golden brown.
• yeast - all bread needs yeast! No special yeast needed here, just go for instant. If you have active dry, that’s okay too, it just might take longer for your bread to rise. We’re using instant yeast because its smaller granules means we don’t need to activate it in liquid and can just add it directly to the flour mix.
• sugar - a bit of sugar adds sweetness and helps with browning.
• butter - it wouldn’t be salt bread without butter. We’re doing two additions of butter, once in the dough so it stays soft and rich, and once when we shape the salt bread so we get that hollow centre. You’ll need softened butter and a straight from the fridge butter block. For the encased butter in the salt bread, you need to cut the butter into little rectangular batons about 3 inches by 1/2 inch and freeze them.
• salt - duh! Regular fine sea salt in the dough and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top to finish.

Step by step salt bread

Most bread recipes have you mix together all the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ones, but after a bunch of experimenting, I’ve found that adding all the liquid ingredients to the bottom of your bowl, then putting the dry ingredients on top makes for a more even mix, especially when you’re using a stand mixer. By layering the dry ingredients on the wet, you don’t have to scrape the bowl down as much and you don’t end up with any dry bits at the bottom of the bowl. It’s my all time favorite trick for bread making! Here is the step by step:

1. Add

To the bowl of your stand mixer, add in this order: water, milk, egg, yeast, sugar, butter, flour, and salt.

2. Knead

Mix on low for 5 minutes with the dough hook, then turn up to medium and knead for 15 minutes minimum. You want to knead until you reach the windowpane stage: take a bit of dough in your hand and stretch it out, if you can stretch it out thin without it breaking, you’re good to go.

3. Proof

Gather all the dough into a ball and let it take a nap and puff up.

4. Cut

While the dough is sleeping, take a block of cold butter and cut it into little rectangles about 3 inches in length by 1/2 inch in height and width. Place the rectangles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and pop them into the freezer to firm up.

5. Shape and proof again

When the dough has tripled, punch it down and divide it into 9 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 6 inch long teardrop/tadpole shape then cover and let rise for another 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is up, take a portion of dough and on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll it out: you want a super long triangle that’s about 3 inches at the base and 1.5 feet in length. Take a rectangle of frozen butter and place it at the base. Tuck in the sides and then roll the butter up from the base to the tip. Place the shaped salt bread on a lined baking sheet, cover and shape the rest of the buns. Cover the salt breads and let them rise again until doubled, about 90 minutes.

6. Bake

When the buns are puffy and tall, use a spray bottle to spray them with water then sprinkle on some salt. Bake until golden and delicious then remove from the oven. Once you take them out, use a pastry brush and some of the butter that’s pooled on the tray to brush the tops to make them nice and shiny. Cool slightly on a wire rack and enjoy!

Other breads you can make if you loved this

• Japanese Milk Bread
• Cheesy Earthquake Bread Recipe
• Japanese Fruit Sandwich: Strawberry Sando Recipe

That’s it!

Whew, I admit, this was a journey, what with three proofs and all, but it’s really worth it, I promise! Just take a day or afternoon to yourself, turn on some binge worthy show in the background and make some bread. It’s so wholesome and homey. I hope salt bread makes it to your table this holiday season. It truly is the BEST bread roll you can make and would be such an elite move as your bread course at any dinner. Happy baking! -xoxo steph

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Dubai Chewy Cookie (aka Dubai Chocolate Cookie)

January 27, 2026 • 1 comment • Posted in: dubai chocolate, tiktok, viral

Apparently the Dubai chewy cookie is going viral on Korean socials and I am absolutely here for it. I’m not over Dubai chocolate and neither is Korea or the internet because there’s a new cookie in town and it’s the chewy Dubai chocolate cookie. I LOVE the filling of Dubai chocolate — I literally eat it with a spoon — so when I saw the chewy Dubai cookies I broke out my trusty jar of pistachio paste and went straight to the kitchen.

What is the Dubai chewy cookie?

If you’ve had Dubai chocolate, think of the crispy, crunchy, creamy pistachio kadyif filling, but instead of it inside a chocolate bar, imagine it in a soft and squishy cocoa dusted marshmallow. It’s kind of like a filled mochi, but way easier to make because you use store-bought marshmallows.

Who invented the Dubai chewy cookie?

Du-Jjon-Ku, aka what Koreans are calling the Dubai chewy cookie, is so incredibly popular that Korea is looking at a marshmallow and pistachio shortage. I’m not sure which bakery invented them, but it was one in South Korea. Like most of Asian, they love chewy desserts and the dujionku was invented to please the locals. There are lineups around the block at bakeries that sell the cookie, partially because it’s so good and partially because, well, it’s viral. Much like Lisa (of BLACKPINK) did for Labubus, Jang Wonyoung of IVE is doing for Dubai chewy cookies.

Chewy Dubai chocolate cookie ingredients

• kadyif - the best part of Dubai chocolate, the crispy crunchy bits! You can buy it or make it, but I recommend buying it. Dubai chocolate is so popular that they sell it online now. If you absolutely want to make it, it’s super simple, just time consuming. More on how to make kadyif right here.
• pistachio cream - pistachio cream is what give Dubai chocolate that glorious green hue and flavor. Pistachio cream is essentially pistachio paste that’s been sweetened and cut with either dairy or white chocolate. Pistachio cream is more spreadable and liquid compared to pistachio paste. It’s readily available online and in specialty stores.
• tahini - most of the recipes I’ve seen online for chewy Dubai cookies don’t have tahini in them, but I feel like that tiny bit of tahini makes this particular recipe sing. The sesame just adds another note and makes the cookies more multidimensional.
• butter - we’re going to use the butter two different ways: first, to toast the kadyif and second, to make the marshmallow shell.
• marshmallows - you can use mini or jumbo marshmallows, but I like using the jumbo marshmallows because they melt slower and I just inexplicably feel like they work better.
• cocoa powder - a bit of cocoa powder is what’s going to make the marshmallow shell chocolately.
• milk powder - this is optional if you don’t have milk powder at home, but adding it in adds a nice little toasty milky note. I’ve seen many people online omit the milk powder and be happy, but I haven’t tried it since I wanted to stay true to the original.

How to make chewy Dubai chocolate cookies

1. Toast - Start by toasting the kadyif in a bit of butter until it is golden brown and crunchy.
2. Mix - After the toasted kadyif is cool, mix it up with pistachio cream, tahini, and a sprinkle of salt.
3. Scoop - Use a cookie scoop to scoop out balls of the filling. Put the filling in the freezer to let it firm up.
4. Melt - Make the chocolate marshmallow shell by melting marshmallows with butter over very low heat.
5. Stir - Once the marshmallows start to lose their shape but aren’t yet completely melted, stir in cocoa powder and milk powder. Stir until the marshmallow mix is completely smooth and glossy.
6. Divide - Put the marshmallow mix on a lightly oiled cutting board or piece of parchment paper. Use a knife to cut it evenly into 6 pieces.
7. Shape - Using lightly oiled hands (or wear gloves and lightly oil) flatten a piece of the marshmallow mix and place a ball of filling in the centre. Wrap and pinch the marshmallow around the filling.
8. Dust - Finish the cookies by dusting them with cocoa powder and enjoy!

Where to buy chewy Dubai chocolate cookies

If you’re not a baker or just want to buy some Dubai chocolate cookies, you’re in luck! Well, that is, if you live in Korea and are willing to wait in line. Just kidding, there are a bunch of cafes in North America that are jumping on to the trend, so just do a quick search and see if anyone is making them near you.

Tips and Tricks

This is a relatively simple recipe to make, but it’s always helpful to have some insider tips and tricks.

1. If you’re not into it, don’t make the crispy kadyif. Just buy it. If you like doing meticulous things, by all means you should make it and I have the recipe right here.
2. Use a cookie scoop for the filling. Using a cookie scoop will give you the perfect domed ball shape. Once you’re scooped all your filling, freeze it. Freezing the filling helps it keep its shape.
3. Add the cocoa powder and milk to the marshmallows once they start melting a tiny bit. They don’t need to be completely smooth before you stir in the cocoa and milk. Marshmallows melt and cool very quickly, so you have to be mindful.
4. Use gloves and lightly rub oil on them so the marshmallow doesn’t stick. Work with the marshmallow mixture while it’s still warm. Using gloves will give your hands a bit of protection against the heat and the oil will help with shaping.
5. Store in little cupcake wrappers. Even after dusting the chocolate marshmallow shell with cocoa powder, you’ll want to keep all the cookies separate without touching. The best way to do this is to put them individually into cupcake wrappers. Or, if you want them to look like the ones they sell in Korea, they package them up in cute lil domed containers.

How to store Dubai chewy cookies

Keep them in an air-tight container for up to 2 days at room temp if you like a soft and gooey filling or in the fridge if you like a firmer, crunchy filliing. That’s it! I’ve taken to making mini ones so I can just pop them in my mouth instead of biting into them. I love mini everything and mini chewy Dubai cookies are even better than the standard size, in my opinion. Happy cookie-ing! xoxo steph

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