One of the most common ingredients out there, salt has long been used to preserve and season food. However, all salts are not the same. In this article, we’ll learn what salt is, where it comes from, and go over four different types of salt: Himalayan, kosher and sea salt.
What is salt?
At its most basic level, salt is a mineral composed of sodium and chlorine (NaCl). Most of the salt we use comes from salt evaporation or salt extraction.
Salt is used to spice up our favourite recipes, from spicy soups to sweet desserts, sauces and even the side of our favourite cocktails (like the classic margarita). It can pick up other flavouring substances found in the food we eat, and certain salts allow it to extract different food molecules, infusing your favourite foods with their own unique flavours!
What kind of salt?
Himalayan Salt
Himalayan salt is the most unique because of its unique pink colour! Himalayan salt can vary from white to pale pink, and most people are drawn to the beautiful pink variety. A small amount of iron oxide gives Himalayan salt its pink colour.
Unlike other types of salt, Himalayan salt can only be found in one place: the Khewra salt mine in Pakistan. Believe it or not, the fine Himalayan salt we bought at this restaurant has been ground into the earth for over 250 million years!
Uses
Himalayan salt can be used as a salt and seasoning to give your food a beautiful pink colour! In addition to its culinary uses, Himalayan salt is made into versatile blocks because it can be heated and cooled at high temperatures without breaking or breaking down.
Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is easily recognized by the size and luster of the grains. Originally used in Judaism, kosher salt was used to remove blood from meat, a process known as koshering. This will make the meat “kosher” in the end.
Koshering is a time-consuming process that can take up to 72 hours. If you want to eat kosher meat but don’t think you’ll have time to do it at home, don’t worry! Many butchers sell pre-cut meat.
Uses
The two most common uses of kosher salt are cooking and curing meat.
Fan-favourite kosher salt dissolves quickly and adds intense flavour when added to your favourite types of meat.
Many cooks prefer kosher salt because it is easier to cook with because the granules are larger than regular salt. And if you cook with kosher salt, remember that kosher salt size means less than regular salt, so make sure to adjust the measurements accordingly.
Sea Salt
Sea salt is extracted from evaporated seawater. This salt is different from other types of salt because it usually contains minerals such as zinc, potassium and iron. Of course, the concentration of these minerals depends on the salt source.
Type of Sea Salt
Celtic Sea Salt: This type of salt is easily recognized by its gray colour. It is called Celtic sea salt, but is found in puddles on the coast of France. Compared to other types of salt, Celtic sea salt is very moist.
Fleur de sel: Fleur de sel (translated as “flower of salt”) is also grown in France. Known as salt caviar, this salt is the most expensive due to its high yield. This type of salt costs about $30 a pound!
Flake salt: This type of salt, as you can imagine, is characterized by a solid form. Flakes make this type of salt eventually sweet and salty.
Uses
Sea salt is often used in cooking and you can use it often whenever you see salt in a recipe. Its crunchy texture and stronger flavour go well with chocolate (like sea salt chocolate chip cookies), fish and vegetables for a delicious, savory taste. Outside of the kitchen, sea salt is often used in baths, scrubs and many other beauty products to soothe and exfoliate the skin.
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