How To Cook With Different Trendy Salts
When learning to cook as a child, one of the most important things that we learn is that our food needs salt. Most likely you weren’t allowed to add the salt right away due to fear of over or under-salting (which if you haven’t learned by now, both can completely ruin a meal). However, now as a full-grown adult, there is so much more to salt than you even know. Besides the simple white salts, there is a colorful array of delicious, gourmet salts that can take your dish to the next level.
As everyday cooks and chef get more creative in the kitchen, it is time to learn how to ‘spice up’ your cooking with these specialty salts. Let’s take a look at the five different types of salt and how to use them.
Table Salt
Sodium Chloride, or table salt, is harvested from salt deposits found underground. Even though this is the most used type of salt, it is the most unnatural and refined form there is. It contains iodine to prevent iodine deficiency and anti-caking agents to prevent the salt from clumping. It is artificially sprayed and processed to remove any impurities or trace minerals.
Kosher Salt
This salt got its name from the Jewish religion. This particular type of salt works well to cure meats, which is a part of the process to make a food “kosher” according to the religion. Kosher salt is flakier and coarser than regular table salt. It dissolves quickly and works well as an all-purpose cooking salt. Although, it is important to remember that this type of salt does not contain iodine, and a lack of this element can cause hypothyroidism and other maladies.
Pickling Salt
Containing no additives, such as iodine or anti-caking agents, or trace minerals from natural salt, this salt is perfect for pickling or brining vegetables, like sauerkraut or cucumbers. Since the minerals and elements that typically cause ugly discoloration of pickled or brined food is left out, this salt is the obvious choice for preserving food. The flavor is exceptionally concentrated, so it is important to remember that when seasoning with this salt, less is more.
Sea Salt
The natural minerals found in rock salt that are stripped away when processing table salt is kept intact with sea salt. These minerals, such as zinc and potassium, help balance your body. This type of salt is pure, giving it an exceptionally salty taste. It is usually not processed, comes in a variety of flavors and colors, and can be eaten with practically anything. Sea salt can also be used as an all-purpose ingredient, as well as a finishing highlight to a dish.
Himalayan Pink Salt
Himalayan Salt is the oldest and one of the purest salts on earth, is harvest by hand, and is chock full of minerals and health benefits. It is an air purifier, a sleep inducer, it prevents respiratory problems and contains more than 84 minerals. Slabs of the salt are used for serving food as it retains temperature for hours. It can be used as a cooking or finishing salt, as it comes with a bolder flavor than many other salts. And it’s pink color? It comes from remnants of iron oxide (a type of rust) that makes any prepared meal look fancier.
