Salt Bae’s ‘steak with gold dust’ stirs controversy on social media

ISTANBUL

Salt Bae’s new recipe, titled “24 carat gold steak,” has stirred outrage on social media.

The video posted on Sept. 2 by Nusret Gökçe shows the Turkish butcher-turned-social media star preparing a steak dish decorated with gold dust.

Watched more than 4.4 million times in less than 24 hours, the video drew thousands of negative comments.

Although more than 500,000 people liked the video, several users criticized Gökçe, arguing that his “meat shows” are particularly distasteful as millions of people struggle to buy basic food.

Some users, meanwhile, questioned whether the dust seen in the video were real gold or not.

Gökçe went globally viral under the nickname “Salt Bae” in 2017 after posting videos of himself salting meat.

Salt Bae’s distinctive cobra-like maneuver earned Gökçe millions of Instagram followers and has helped launch Nusr-Et restaurants in the Middle East, New York, and Miami.