Who Is Salt Bae? The Internet's Favorite Meat-Sprinkler And Clout-Chaser, Explained

In medieval North Africa, salt was as valuable as gold: before refrigeration, it was one of the best and only ways to preserve food. Caravans carried it crossed the Sahara and kings savored its signature flavor. Today, salt is often taken for granted: but one man has added new tang and style to this mineral. He's famous across the internet not just for his theatrical sprinkling of salt, but for his dark shades, unique catchphrases, and shameless hunger for fame. His name is Salt Bae.

Where Did Salt Bae Come From?

Salt Bae's birth name is Nusret Gökçe. He is a Kurdish chef and businessman, who runs Nusr-Et, a chain of high-end steakhouses around the world. He was born in a small town in Türkiye and worked his way as a butcher and chef in kitchens around the world, before opening the first Nusr-Et in Istanbul.

He found success in the high-end steakhouse business, opening restaurants in Dubai, New York, London, and many other places. But it wasn't until his internet fame that Salt Bae's empire really got cooking.

How Did Salt Bae Go Viral?

Salt Bae first went viral in January of 2017, from a video posted to Instagram which showed him seasoning an "Ottoman steak." Other highly-theatric presentations of meat to diners at Nusr-Et quickly became videos that generated further interest online. His videos mostly feature highly-appetizing meat and other foods presented in a dramatic way.

He quickly became an exploitable image macro, with users swapping in different items for the salt he so flamboyantly sprinkled on meats.

Others joked about Salt Bae's attractiveness: his moody silence, his chiseled physique, and his dark sunglasses turned him into a niche internet star.

Why Did The Internet Turn On Salt Bae?

A series of negative stories and bad reviews emerged about Salt Bae's restaurants and business practices following his viral fame. In one infamous incident, a Czech influencer was severely burned during a theatrical fire show at a Salt Bae restaurant, which also injured four other people. Restaurant reviewers across the board were critical of the food Salt Bae served and the prices he charged, saying that his meat was not really that good and it was way too expensive.

But the thing that really got the internet angry at Salt Bae was his behavior at the 2022 World Cup Final. Somehow, Salt Bae managed to make his way onto the field after the trophy presentation and pressured Argentina's players to let him pose with the World Cup trophy. He mimed sprinkled salt, and pressured team members into photo ops. Online response was strongly negative, and other prominent sporting events announced Salt Bae bans.

Following his World Cup performance, Salt Bae has come to represent all the excesses of influencer culture. However, Salt Bae continues to sprinkle the salt he is so famous for and to globetrot from restaurant to restaurant, posting workout pics, inspirational pep talks and meat content to his over 53 million followers on Instagram.

For the full history of Salt Bae, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.