The mini salt competition
Yes, not all salts are the same. However, how and where the salt is harvested determines whether it will be lightly salty, very salty, fine grained, chunky or medium grained. I am not here to tell you to reduce your salt intakes (monitor your diet though) but for those that love cooking will love this topic. When i think of salts the first two that come to mind are table salt and sea salt. My sister personally loves sea salt products ranging from soaps and masks. She would literally apply natural sea salt on her face to clear away her acne and it works wonders.
Firstly, sea salt is evaporated from sea water whereby it contains zinc, potassium and iron which results to its unique taste and its ability to add more flavor to sweet recipes and savory compared to table salt. Some sea salts known as grey salt (sel gris in french) is excellent on fish and meat for both cooking, baking and sprinkling. Fleur De sel (French for Flower of salt) is harvested from evaporated sea water, it is good for finishing salt, adding flavor to seafood, meat, vegetables and sweets such as caramel and chocolate.
Flake salt is harvested from sea water too but it is lighter, thinner and shaped oddly usually as squares, triangles or rectangles. Since it is expensive, has a bright taste with low mineral content it is preferably used as finishing salt to sprinkle on foods such as chocolates, salads, pastries even on meats. Now table salt also known as iodized salt is good for baking because it contains potassium iodide and an anti-caking agent which prevents lumps from forming additionally, it avoids iodine deficiency within our bodies. Kosher salt has no additional iodine. It dissolves fast, it is flaky, coarse and produces a burst of flavor. It can be sprinkled on meat and it is an all-purpose cooking salt.
Himalayan salt is defined as the purest salt worldwide whereby it is harvested by hand from khewra salt mine at the Himalayan Mountains in Pakistan, its color ranges from off-white to deep pink unlike its cousin known as the Himalayan black salt. The 84 natural ingredients that are present in the human body is found in Himalayan salt. This salt is used at spa treatments and in cooking too because it has a bold flavor special for finishing dishes that is why it is so expensive. Himalayan black salt tastes and smells like boiled eggs that is why it is commonly used in vegan recipes to mimic egg flavors. It is created by cooking hard salt with charcoal, seeds, herbs and bark in a furnace for 24 hours.
Black Hawaiian salt which is harvested from the Hawaiian volcanic islands includes activated charcoal, it has a strong earthy flavor which is perfect as a finishing salt on meats such as beef, pork or seafood. Red Hawaiian salt (Alaea salt) which is harvested from iron-rich volcanic clay alaea and has a nutty flavor is also used as a garnishing salt and great flavor additive on seafood and meat.
Smoked salt is made from cold smoking salt with various woods such as alder, hickory etc. from up to 2 weeks on wood fire so the tastes vary from wood to wood, length of time smoked and brand to brand. This salt has intense and smokey flavor which is why its perfect for flavoring potatoes, meat, vegetables, barbecue and chili sauces. Pickling salt is used for picking and brining because it has no minerals, iodine or anti-caking agent.
Finally, this brings as to the end of the salt story, i could go to the extreme and make a salt SWOT analysis for you but that would be a story for another day.
I’m love creativity and life itself. There’s so much unique things that we can do if we keep learning and unlearning.
Article by: Grace Nkulu November 11, 2021