At the InterContinental Hong Kong's The Steak House, diners are given the choice of eight salts from around the world with which to season their meal. Waiting staff are trained to tell customers about the mineral content of the different salts. Each salt has its own colour, size of flake, moistness and readiness to melt.

The salt from the Murray River in Australia, for example, melts quickly and evenly, is light and peachy toned. It gets its colour from a red pigment, called carotene, which is secreted by the salt-tolerant algae that thrive in the underground saline waters from which the salt is harvested.

Himalayan Pink salt, a fossil marine salt found at high altitudes, gains its speckled colouring from a variety of minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron, while Sel Gris de Guerande from France is grey hued and consists of large, soft, moist crystals.

Franco Leung, restaurant manager of The Steak House, says having the salts on the table increases communication between staff and diners.

'The salt is a tool to create an interactive atmosphere and make the overall dining experience more full,' Mr Leung says.

The restaurant also offers 10 choices of steak knives to suit male or female customers and their size of hand. 'It's about giving diners more choice, and paying attention to the details,' Mr Leung says. 'Diners in Hong Kong expect this and appreciate it.'

But can diners really taste the difference between the salts?

Richard Ekkebus, executive chef of Amber at the Landmark Oriental, believes diners can pick up subtle differences in taste that the varying minerals impart. 'People with trained palates will enjoy the tastes and pick up the differences,' Ekkebus says. 'Foodies will recognise the details, as they would if they were comparing a Vin de Pays and a Chateau Petrus.'

Some of the salts are smoked. The Steak House uses a Fleur de Sel from France that is smoked with chardonnay oak chips, while Amber offers a salt smoked over Welsh oak. These smoked salts impart a rich flavour to the food and so have a more noticeable taste.

At Amber, salts are placed on tables in an attractive tin that looks like a jewel box, which piques customers' interest. Diners can rub the salts between their fingers, adding an extra sensory dimension to the meal.

Ekkebus sources the salts he offers from different suppliers, some of them direct from small, family-run businesses, such as the Halen Mon salt company in Britain. Halen Mon salt is 100 per cent natural sea salt extracted from the Atlantic waters off the small Isle of Anglesey in Wales. The Le Saunier de Camargue salts he uses are extracted from a French nature reserve, which means that the extraction process does not harm the environment.

Naturally harvested salts are also said to be better for you. Mr Leung says: 'Mineral-rich salts are more natural and healthy than most marinades or sauces, so guests who choose to season their food with these salts get the added benefit of knowing that they are eating healthier.'