What is a single ingredient that can make or break a dish? Salt!
Salt is a mineral—sodium chloride. And for millennia, it has been an important and valuable commodity. Whether it’s sprinkled over chewy caramel or used to make a crust on a thick, juicy steak, salt makes every dish more remarkable with that distinctive flavor. It can make fruit sweeter, veggies less bitter, and add some crunch and texture to buttery soft bread. But with salt, things can quickly take a turn. Too little salt, you don’t impact the taste at all. Too much salt, you can completely overpower it. It’s such a fine line and vitally important to not only use the right amount of salt, but also the right types of salt for the application.
So many professional chefs have an allegiance to their salt and they will offer up impassioned arguments about why one type is superior to another. But the truth is, the most important thing is getting familiar with the salt you use in your own cooking and baking. Do you use fine or coarse? How long does it take to dissolve in boiling water? If you add it to your classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, does it dissolve into the dough or come to the forefront with that distinctive crunch and zing?
Different Types of Salt
Clearly, we need to know more. So here is a quick list of some of the more common types of salt and when you might consider using them:
Table Salt
Table salt is one of the most versatile and least expensive types of salt. The little cartons have stocked pantries everywhere for centuries and you will see this ingredient listed in almost every single recipe, from cookies to mashed potatoes. Table salt is either harvested from rock or evaporated from seawater. Then it’s purified, refined, and crystalized in a closed vacuum to help remove other natural minerals—resulting in a fine, cubic shape.
Additionally, most table salts include other additives like iodine and iron, originally added to combat common deficiencies in the mid-‘20s. They also contain anticaking agents (silicate or calcium carbonate) so the salt can easily pour from the shakers. This type of salt is small and dense, making it taste very, very salty. You would typically use it during the cooking process because it dissolves easily and evenly. It’s also good for baking. However, most chefs will not use it as finishing salt, because the additives can give the food a more metallic flavor.
Kosher Salt
This salt has taken over the culinary world! We use it in our kitchens every single day and we love it. The name Kosher salt comes from the intended purpose of helping with the koshering process of meat for Jewish food preparation. The larger grains draw out the blood from a cut of meat to make it kosher. Today the name remains, but now simply refers to the large, flakey, and craggy grains of the salt. With Kosher salt, the flakes do not sit tightly together and it’s so easy to grab in pinches and see when sprinkling it into food.
Meanwhile, chefs are no longer at the mercy of the salt shaker. Kosher salt gives you full control over the amount of salt you add by hand so you get a more even spread. Due to its consistency and flexibility, kosher salt is best used to develop flavor while cooking with a pinch here and a pinch there. It’s also great for spreading over food, dissolving in water, and even some uses in baking. And because kosher salt contains no additives, it has a bright and pure taste making it perfect to use as a finishing salt. But even when using kosher salt, it’s important to use specified brands outlined by the recipe because they are not interchangeable.
- Diamond Crystal vs Mortons
Mortons and Diamond Crystal are the two major producers of kosher salt, and the production methods yield two very different products. Morton makes kosher salt by rolling cubic crystals into thin, dense flakes that are twice as salty by volume. It takes longer to dissolve and it’s easier to accidentally overseason a dish. Meanwhile, Diamond Crystal makes its kosher salt by crystallizing it in an open brine yielding light, hollow flakes. This will be less salty by volume and dissolves faster. And this is why we always recommend using Diamond Crystal for your kosher salt.
Sea Salt
Sea salt gets harvested from oceans and rivers around the world. The process is a bit more labor intensive, which is why these fancy salts often come with a higher price tag. And the chemical composition differs based on the geographic location. The size, texture, color, and even flavor of sea salt will vary, so be sure to taste it before using it. Sea salt will mostly have a distinct rough shape with larger crystals. This makes it a little too rough to use in more delicate circumstances, like baking. And these unrefined crystals usually have a pure, bright flavor that can really stand out. For this reason, it’s best to save sea salt for use as a finishing salt that will burst with flavor as soon as it touches the tongue. If you do use this salt as an alternative to table salt, you will likely find you use less because it has such a robust flavor.
Himalayan Pink Salt
This salt is harvested from the Punjab region of Pakistan at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. It was first used in the 13th century and the famous Khewra Salt Mine is nowhere near close enough to breaking the potential of the deposits. In fact, it’s predicted to sustain production for the next 350 years. These pink salts are easily recognizable and the color actually comes from the iron content in the salt. It is said to contain more than 80 natural minerals found in the human body. This is why Himalayan pink salt has become popular for a variety of uses and many people favor it for the natural health benefits. But because of the steep price and the bolder flavor, we recommend housing Himalayan pink salt for finishing dishes.
Fleur de Sel
Like sea salt, Fleur de Sel is harvested from evaporated seawater. Initially, this type of salt came specifically from the coast of Brittany. But now, it’s also produced in other parts of the world where the conditions of salt marshes are ideal. This salt ends up having a higher moisture content, which allows the salt crystals to stick together and look like snowflakes. It also means the salt will not immediately dissolve on your tongue. Instead, the flavor tends to linger. And because this salt goes through less refining, it tends to smell and taste kind of like the sea. This type of salt is best used as a finishing salt.
As you can see, when choosing a salt, there is a lot to think about. Taste, texture, additives, natural minerals, and health benefits are all factors. And salt plays an important role in cooking—whether sweet or savory. Which types of salt do you use most often? And if you are ready to try something new—which types of salt would you add to your pantry?
