Interesting. I find salal neutral or better. The ones I’ve had from my property I liked better than any salmonberries here, and better than the soft and insipid wild black raspberries. Plus the sour/bitter blackberries, but many of the blackberries are better.
From what I remember of salal, the skin was a little leathery and the inside was sweet and mild. Maybe a little insipid, but I’d be happy to eat them if even slightly hungry.