Salt

There's salt, and then there's salt. We have a lot of choices these days when it comes to salt, but are they really that different? I know there are flavored salts, but other salts such as the standard table salt, kosher, sea salt, and so on all taste the same to me. But it seems these days a lot of recipes are written specifying a particular salt, such as sea salt. Does it really make a difference?

I find its mostly size of the salt.....I dont think it makes a difference.....SWMBO also thinks the same.

_JP_ said:

There's salt, and then there's salt. We have a lot of choices these days when it comes to salt, but are they really that different? I know there are flavored salts, but other salts such as the standard table salt, kosher, sea salt, and so on all taste the same to me. But it seems these days a lot of recipes are written specifying a particular salt, such as sea salt. Does it really make a difference?

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Table salt is iodized . . . i.e., iodine is added as a supplement to help our thyroid glands. Some people claim that this adds a bit of a metallic taste.

Alacrity59 said:

Table salt is iodized . . . i.e., iodine is added as a supplement to help our thyroid glands. Some people claim that this adds a bit of a metallic taste.

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I switched to sea salt exclusively about 5 years ago and I can attest that iodized salt definitely tastes nasty after you lose your everyday taste for it.

I think some sea salts taste different if you get ones specific to a region. But if you get the generic sea salt then it tastes like kosher salt to me.

I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for all of my cooking.

As someone who is very much into cooking (including various international and gourmet cuisines), I will say it does indeed matter, but not to a huge extent for everyday cooking. It matters more when it comes to specific uses and higher-end recipes.

Table salt and kosher salt are the two most used and the difference is not so much in the taste (although some may notice a bit as table salt has iodine), but in the use. Sea salt has a slightly different taste, and seems to be used more in healthy cooking as it takes less and allows for lower sodium. Table salt is primarily the everyday salt we all know and is pretty versatile. Kosher salt is course and larger and has specific uses in cooking where this would be of benefit over table salt.

An interesting and often misunderstood point regarding kosher salt is that it is called "kosher salt" not because of it being kosher (all salt is actually kosher), but rather because this coarse salt is used in the salting process of kosher meat to draw out any blood, etc.

It really depends what you do with it. Fancy salt is wasted stirred into things, but for a finishing adds a nice taste and potentially texture (I like to serve unsalted butter topped with kosher or sea salt with bread, to give some crunch).

FWIW, you can buy uniodized table salt if it bothers you. I've tied both and to my palate, it doesn't make any difference

Sea Salt is often called for in healthier recipies due to the minerals within the salt. Kosher and Table Salts are chemically produced, while Sea Salt is naturally produced.

Actually, all salt is chemically produced...technically...but I think you know what I mean.

These days my palate gets somewhat numbed at times because of medications. To the point where sometimes I haven't tasted salt!
I do think that some salts containing other minerals can impart a different taste to the food, and those are probably best as finishing salts. And then there are salts like Lawry's Seasoned Salt, of which there are many clones. Those can work either as a finishing salt or for cooking. Sometimes I'll substitute soy sauce for salt in a recipe because I want the flavor and appearance that it provides.

I use kosher salt for almost everything except baking (for which I use table salt). I've used different sea salts in the past and never noticed any difference in flavor so I just go for the kosher.

Unless you are using something like Brittany sea salt, which is grey in appearance and has specific uses, it's mostly just the size of the crystals.

It's much easier to gauge pinches with kosher salt. I prefer the Mortons' over the Diamond as the former is larger crystals and easier to regulate.

Remember when substituting in recipes with larger quantities of salt you have to convert amounts.
This chart is helpful:

Sea Salt

Check out this Thread on Gourmet and Unusual Salts!!!

"Success is a lot of small things done correctly". Chef Fernand Point

I ran across some kala namak in a bulk bin at the natural food store the other day. Doing some research on getting home, I found that it is supposed to taste a little like hydrogen sulfide. I think that kala namak literally means black salt, but it was actually pink in color, like the salt sold as Himalayan crystal salt. Maybe a little darker.

Thanks Ray, that chart's a keeper!

Well all salt is sea salt . . . and all salt is kosher . . . but there is the large crystal koshering salt . . . but darned if the box does not say koshering salt but rather . . . just says Kosher salt. And ok . . . sea salt is salt from sea water that has recently had its . . . water evaporated and the rest . . . well the water evaporated many years ago . . . and probably comes from a massive salt mine in Goderich Ontario. I think there are differences . . . subtle . . . but present due to what is in the water before the evaporating. Also the textures are quite different as well. Fleur de sel being very fine . . . and the large crystals I like to see on pretzels.

Lately there has been a trend to have flavoured salts . . . smokey, hot pepper, etc.

Does any of it make a difference . . . maybe . . .

Is it fun to try different things . . . for me . . . YES!

one thing I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is that most table salts contain anti-caking agent Potassium ferrocyanide (among others), which although supposedly harmless at low levels, is still considered toxic at high enough doses. It is also toxic to aquatic organisms, which I suppose most people don't care about, but it's certainly a large part of why I switched to wet shaving and using natural soaps and other products. It really isn't so hard to shake up the container.

I love the texture and crunch of big Kosher salt where appropriate, but when used incorrectly, you end up with salt bombs in your food if the recipe isn't most enough to dissolve and absorb the salt. There, regular iodized is better. Now I can't think of where that was a prob...

I was tempted to buy some Himalayan salt based on claims it had useful nutrients (salts other than sodium chloride), but some searching shows there are no nutritional benefits to these 'exotic' salts. They may contain some extras, but in such small amounts to be insignificant healthwise.
Since I've cut down on normal salt I decided not to buy any of the alternatives, it would just encourage me to use them and be less healthy!

RSC said:

I ran across some kala namak in a bulk bin at the natural food store the other day. Doing some research on getting home, I found that it is supposed to taste a little like hydrogen sulfide. I think that kala namak literally means black salt, but it was actually pink in color, like the salt sold as Himalayan crystal salt. Maybe a little darker.

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I love the stuff, it does have a very strong sulfuric taste. Try it mixed with some lime juice, cracked black pepper and chopped coriander and drizzled over cherry tomatoes. I've also tried it in a Pakistani style lamb curry mixed with fennel seeds to balance against the eggy flavour. It's worth picking some up if you enjoy experimenting!