Salt
/sɒlt,sɔːlt/
: a crystalline compound NaCl that consists of sodium chloride, is abundant in nature, and is used especially to season or preserve food or in industry
also called common salt.
Salt. Salt is…salt. We use it to season our foods. Pretty straight froward right? Bzzzz no! Salt is a major or rather a fundamental ingredient used in cooking to season and to enhance flavours, to balance out sweetness and salt can even be a preservative. A natural preservative.
Interestingly, salt production is one of the oldest practices dating back to 6000BC. Salt was used for various trading and religious offerings. The Ancient Romans used salt as a means of commerce, hence why the word salary is derived from the word salt. Interesting huh?
My question is …why is salt so important? Salt does get a bad rap at times but it’s a rather important mineral that our bodies need. Salt is a critical and essential mineral in our bodies. There are a number of important roles that salt does to our bodies. Having salt in our bodies helps maintain proper nerve function and it’s also used to help regulate fluids in our bodies.
Have you ever craved salt? I know I have. Research indicates that when we crave salt it’s our bodies telling us that we are dehydrated. Salt is a flavour booster in our foods.
Learning how to work with different kind of salts has been one of the hardest things of Zoitsa Homely Produce’s adventure to learn. Over salting and under salting can throw a seasoning mix to shit!
So come along with me and let’s break down salt and the varieties of salt available and let’s demystify this mineral.
My research had me find 10 different types of salt. If you know of any more do tell!
- Table Salt: pretty safe to say that our everyday table salt is one that a lot of us if not all of us are aware of and have in our pantries/kitchens. Table Salt is what is placed in every saltshaker in any restaurant. Table salt is highly refined as it can only be found by mining underground, and it is processed to prevent it from “clumping” up. Most likely it will contain iodine. Iodine is a mineral used to ward off any potential toxins from the salt and to maintain a healthy thyroid function. Here is an interesting fact iodized salt was introduced as a public health measure to combat iodine deficiency disorders in many parts of the world. By adding iodine to salt it is an effective way to make sure that people received an adequate daily intake of this essential nutrient.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is a salt that I use a lot. Its chunky grains are perfect for our rubs. Kosher salt has much larger grains than table salt and it is easier to grab a pinch and sprinkle over your dishes. Most chefs around the world prefer this salt as it really adheres to the surfaces of food. Kosher Salt is great for seasoning proteins prior to cooking. Kosher Salt is mined from underground salt deposits and then processed to remove any impurities. The name kosher refers to its use in koshering or preparing meats according to the Jewish dietary laws. Funnily enough though Kosher Salt is not necessarily Kosher- Certified.
- Sea Salt: Another “chunky” salt and one that is excellent for finishing off your dishes or using as a garnish. Sea Salt for me has a unique texture and KAPOW flavour. Sea Salt is harvested from evaporated sea water and it comes in many different textures and colours. Sea Salt retains some minerals and impurities giving it a bit different flavour profile.
- Salt Flakes: My favourite! Salt Flakes are a thin flat, irregular shaped and delicate crystal like salt. They have a distinct crunch to them which I love. As daft as this sounds, I find Salt Flakes – “pretty” and because of that they add that perfect finishing touch on grilled meats and desserts. Salt Flakes are on the expensive side as they are “made by hand” to look like they do. Salt Flakes are created through an evaporation process. The brine is evaporated in special salt pans over flames to form the unique shape.
- Fleur De Sel- Now this salt I have never heard of, nor have I ever seen it before in my life. This is a traditional French salt that comes from the coast of Brittany in France. It is a salt that forms on the surface of seawater as it evaporates. Looking at pictures it sort of looks like Salt Flakes. I noted that other countries often discard this salt. Typically, this salt is used as a finishing salt. I have just found some online and I have ordered some…let’s see if it works in any of my new recipes.
- Rock Salt – Traditionally rock salt was not meant for human consumption. Instead, it was used to de-ice roads! Rock salt is also commonly used in ice cream makers for quicker freezing, along with making salt-crusted dishes like whole fish. Because rock salt are such large crystals or particles, they take time to dissolve so not the most ideal salt to use in our everyday cooking.
- Pickling Salt – As the name of the salt reads, this salt is for pickling and canning foods. The interesting thing with this salt is that there is no iodine in this type of salt.
- Himalayan Pink Salt – I’m sure we have all seen this one, and I think it’s safe to say it’s a bit of “trendy” salt. What I mean is that all the “cool” eateries will have some sitting at their tables. Himalayan Pink Salt is mined from the Himalayan maintains (mostly in Pakistan). The colour is what is striking and really grabs one’s attention. Its pink in colour due to its mineral content, particularly iron. It comes in two varieties which are either finely ground or large chunky rocks. This salt traditionally is used as a finishing salt, a seasoning salt or a garnishing salt. A lot of people are now using it more for grilling and in their cooking. It has a very mild subtle flavour, and they say that there are superior nutritional qualities but there is no research to back this.
- Black Salt- Now this salt has me very intrigued. Again, this is a salt that I have not seen anywhere. Black Salt is also known as Kala Namak or Indian Black Salt (Guess who will be going to their local Indian grocer tomorrow to try and get some??) It is called Black Salt but apparently it is not black in colour but more a dark purple or pinkish grey hue. This salt is a volcanic rock salt and usually found in South Asia, especially so in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It is well known for its pungent and stinky egg smell and flavour which makes it sound rather unique. It is believed to add a touch of umami but it can be rather powerful so it should be used sparingly.
Then last but not least we have
- Seasoned Salt – This is what Zoitsa Homely Produce makes for y’all. These are salted blends that are made by adding salt to different herbs and spices and other flavourings and they are considered gourmet. Well, there you go Zoitsa Homely Produce has become gourmet (HAHAHAHAHA). Seasoned Salt adds deep complex flavours to dishes with just a simple little sprinkling.
And there we have it! A little lesson in salt for us all. If you are interested in reading more or finding out more interesting facts about salt there is a great book called: Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, by Mark Bitterman. I was gifted this book by The Hubster a few weeks back and I could not put the book down. With each and every page I turned I was fascinated to read more and more and learn so much about this important mineral.
Mr Bitterman is a Salt Sommelier! Yep! You read that correctly. A Salt Sommelier. I always thought that a sommelier had to do with wines only.
I end todays blog with choosing the right salt should always depend on your personal preferences (of course) but also the specific dish you are about to make. Each and every salts have different levels of “salinity” so it really is a must to add a little bit, taste test your meal and then adjust accordingly. Why not try and add a different type of salt to your next meal and see what your family and friends will say.
Happy Cooking! Happy Seasoning!
Irene
