When “Salt Bae” Nusret released his very first video of cooking, cutting, and seasoning steak in early 2017, he himself could not have predicted the movement it would bring forth, neither could he have possibly predicted the fiery speed at which his fame grew. This was only fueled by the onset of even more videos he released that showcased his craft and meticulousness, with which he handled different cuts of meats and creatively cooked them, finishing off with his signature seasoning move, earning him the nickname “Salt Bae”, or one who is known and loved for his association with salt. Nusret Gökçe is a Turkish chef, who had little culinary influence on the world before the “Salt Bae Incident”, became not only as an internet sensation, but also a renowned chef who’s influence spread eastwards, and he soon became a very popular meme, branding him January 2017’s most popular meme. Soon his “meat show” was being recreated everywhere and, in every theme, and appealing to most of the carnivorous population, who basked in the viewing of watching high-quality meat dishes being prepared. Thus, Salt Bae spreads his art to the world by using his credibility as a chef, as well as appealing to people’s emotions by showcasing the preparation of a loved item.

When “Salt Bae” Nusret first released a video showing him elegantly cut into a tomahawk steak, it naturally left everyone who viewed it in awe. It wasn’t long before fans demanded another video and Salt Bae was soon releasing multiple videos that showcased his intricate expertise in handling different meat cuts in different ways, finishing it off with his “patented” salt sprinkle. People jumped on this video, turning what seemed to be just a meat preparation video into the most popular meme-trend of 2017. Perhaps what really drew people to the video was the sheer fact that Salt Bae used meat as the focal point in his videos. Since most of the world eats and loves meat products, it doesn’t come as a surprise that when they saw such an act become a form of art, they were immediately spreading around the trend. As proven by research, people love to watch prep videos of their favorite foods and are attracted to watching such videos that supposedly leaves them in a feel of wanting, meaning that it is no surprise in the reasoning behind why such a video circled the internet in a matter of days. However, what may have really sealed the deal was the “theater-like” experience of steak-cutting, where the patient and gentle chef, carefully runs his knife through the meat, almost like dancing with it, and eventually ending it with what soon came to be known as his “patented” salt sprinkle. This was described effectively by Joshua David Stein when he said’ “Is the steak transcendent? No, the steak is mundane, somewhat tough and rather bland. The hamburger is overcooked. The tartare is over-chopped…. Does that matter? It does not matter. One does not visit Salt Bae for steak alone any more than one goes to Mass for the wafers.” Hence it is no stretch to assume that Nusret’s videos used the pathos appeal to entertain and appeal to people’s emotions, causing the net-wide circulation of his craft.

The grace and beauty in Salt Bae’s craft is justly backed by his reputation and skill as a professional chef. Nusret grew up working in Turkish steakhouses when he was still very young, to support his family. By the age of 27, he had already opened his first restaurant “Nusr-Et”, in Istanbul. This caught the eye of an investor, whose aid helped Nusret open a few more restaurants in the Middle East. Therefore, Salt Bae’s hard work from a very young age led him head-first into the food industry, allowing him to grow and spread his fame. Soon his fame spread even more and it has been ascertained that “barely a year after that day in January, Gökçe now has 13 restaurants around the world, from Abu Dhabi to Miami, and over 600 employees.” This data clearly shows how the credibility behind his extensive and fruitful career only helped over-popularize the video compilations of his masterpiece craft and showed exactly why he deserved the fame and respect that he earned after the meat-prep video was revealed to the world, taking everyone by a storm.

Additionally, to further prove his credibility, Nusret has caught the eye of many world trend leaders. Not only did he become a center of the meme world for a considerable time period, he has also attracted the trend setters of the world, from culinary field to the entertainment field. After his first appearance on social media, he “blew up” the likes of Twitter, along with Facebook and Instagram. It was only natural that the news of a new showman in town reached the ears of the trend leaders, such as world-renowned chefs, athletes, and celebrities. When his reputation spread, and he established multiple restaurants from “Abu Dhabi to Miami”, it became easier than ever for more and more people to go and get a first-hand view of a private show. He has not only been complimented by the world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, he has also served some of the other world-renowned athletes and celebrities. The long list includes people like Odell Beckham Jr. and David Beckham, as well as stars such as Drake, DJ Khaled, and Leonardo DiCaprio. With such an extensively diverse audience and fanbase, it comes as little surprise as to why so many people from all over the world have flocked to Salt Bae and his beautiful presentation of cooking and seasoning meat.