Mark Bitterman should not be confused with Mark Bittman.
| Mark Bitterman | |
| Birth Date: | December 22, 1966 |
| Birth Place: | New York City |
| Alma Mater: | Sarah Lawrence College, Reed College |
| Children: | 2 |
| Awards: | James Beard Foundation Award |
| Website: | https://markbitterman.com/ |
Mark Bitterman (born December 22, 1966) is an American entrepreneur and food writer. He is the owner of The Meadow, a boutique that specializes in finishing salts, bean-to-bar chocolate, cocktail bitters, and other products. The Meadow was founded in Portland, Oregon, in 2006, and has expanded to include three locations in Portland, one in Nolita in New York City, and one in Shinjuku, Tokyo.[1] Bitterman began selling salt wholesale to award-winning restaurateurs in 2006, and in 2012 officially launched the Bitterman Salt Co. to sell salt through retailers nationally.[2] Bitterman has published five books.[3] Two are on traditional culinary salts and their use in cooking. Two are about cooking with Himalayan salt blocks, and helped pioneer the concept. His remaining book is on the use of bitters and amari in mixology and cooking. He consults with restaurateurs and lectures at culinary academies about the use of finishing salts and Himalayan salt blocks.[4]
Bitterman was born December 22, 1966, in New York City and grew up in Southern California. He attended Reed College and Sarah Lawrence College where he studied literature and art history.
His early professional career included work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and he has held positions in marketing, writing, and building restoration.
Bitterman discovered finishing salts while traveling in France as a 20-year-old.[5]
James Beard Foundation Award for Reference and Scholarship Cookbook (2011).[6] Salted was also a finalist at the International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Awards in two categories: Food & Beverage Reference/Technical and First Book: The Julia Child Award.[7]
Tastemaker by Food & Wine[8] and a local food hero by Cooking Light.
Bitterman is credited with having coined the word selmelier, a food industry professional whose area of expertise is finishing salts and salting techniques.[9]