A $200 spoon that zaps your tongue into tasting salt that isn’t there and people are losing their minds over it

The Kirin Electric Salt Spoon is making waves online again, with a viral video demonstrating how the device can make food taste significantly saltier without actually adding any salt. As detailed by the Daily Dot, the spoon recently racked up millions of views on TikTok after being showcased by creator Classy Bougie Budget. For anyone who loves the taste of salt but needs to watch their sodium intake, it is easy to see why the gadget has generated this kind of attention.

The spoon works by using a weak electric current to drive sodium ions in your food toward your tongue, causing your taste buds to perceive a much stronger saltiness than what is actually present. Developed by the Japanese company Kirin in collaboration with researchers at the Miyashita Laboratory at Meiji University, the device is designed to help people enjoy meals while keeping their health in mind. According to researchers, the spoon forms an electrolytic cell with your tongue, concentrating sodium ions right where they need to be.

In his viral video, which has gained over 1.6 million views, Classy Bougie Budget unboxed the $200 spoon and tested it with a bowl of bakute. He noted the metal plate in the middle that conducts the electricity and was clearly impressed by the results. “This was almost $200, and I would be really p—- if it didn’t work,” he said. “And now that it does… this is super cool.”

The science behind the spoon is more straightforward than it sounds

You can adjust the intensity using three settings on the handle. The technology has been refined significantly since research began in 2019. Early versions of electric taste tech, like prototypes of electric chopsticks, required users to wear a wristband or maintain direct metal-to-tongue contact, making them difficult to use casually. These newer devices are self-contained, using the food itself as a conductive medium, and you simply hold the spoon naturally to complete the circuit.

Kirin, a company that has drawn attention for its work in an Electric Salt Cup for liquids like soups and beverages. The cup works on the same principle, though it required extra engineering to protect the electronics from liquid. It is worth noting that these devices are not medical equipment and should not be used by minors or people with implants like pacemakers. It comes amid other Japanese consumer technology innovations.

Not everyone has been completely sold on the experience. When the product first launched, some reviewers had a more mixed reaction. While it was named the best weird tech at CES, some testers found the spoon awkward to use, and there has been discussion about whether the perceived flavor boost is partly a placebo effect. The scientific foundation holds up regardless. Clinical trials conducted at Meiji University found the technology can make food taste about 50 percent saltier for many users.

If you pick one up, the spoon requires a bit more care than standard cutlery. The spoon head must be unscrewed from the handle and the metal strip removed before cleaning, while the handle itself should only be wiped down. For those on restricted diets managing conditions like high blood pressure, amid growing legislative focus on public health, the extra maintenance may be a small price to pay.

The initial launch in May 2024 was a substantial commercial success, with sales exceeding expectations by more than seven times by the end of the year. Kirin has since refined the design to be more ergonomic and easier to clean. The spoon is currently available primarily in Japan, with plans to expand into other Asian markets through 2026 before eventually going global.