Years ago, I dove head-first into creating a BBQ restaurant concept, and for the first time in my life, I turned my interest towards different types of table salt. We started by making our own “smoked salt”. From there my interest grew into looking into all of the enormous variety of salts that are available around the world.
I decided to explore this interest further by purchasing a starter kit of salt that had about 20 different varieties. I found the salt to be beautiful and varied in color, shape and size.
Table Salt and Iodized Table Salt, also known as “fine salt”, is basic table salt, made by sending water into salt deposits then evaporating it – only the salt crystals will remain. The salt goes through a refining process that removes the other minerals from it. Table salt has a fine grain texture which makes it ideal for baking – it can accurately be measured. Iodine is not naturally in table salt – Morton Salt Company started adding it back in 1924 to decrease the chance of goiters. The majority of table salt is iodized in the United States these days, and, indeed, the occurrence of goiters has gone down greatly!Best for baking.
Kosher Salt
Kosher salt, also known as “coarse” salt, is made in a similar fashion to table salt – the difference is that kosher salt is raked during the evaporation process. This type of coarse salt is generally evaporated from brine. This creates grains with a block-structure, this structure better allows the salt crystals to absorb blood (Jewish law states that you must extract blood from meat before you consume it). Kosher salt is less salty than table salt – Use it to season steak or chicken for a nice crust.
Sea Salt
Sea salt is harvested by evaporation, also. Sea salt is not quite as salty as table salt is and is crunchier, with big shards, also known as Finishing” salt, such as Maldon sea salt.. You can find both fine grain and coarse grain sea salt. Many sea salts include trace minerals like potassium, magnesium, and iodine – these minerals are naturally present, not added.Other types of sea salts include selgris, esprit du sel, and pink, black, and brown sea salts from India. Try sprinkling on salads for flavor, or as a contracting taste topper for caramels and chocolate.
Fleur De Sel
This is a type of sea salt – to harvest fleur de sel, you must take the early crystals that start to form across the surface of salt evaporation ponds – this is generally done during the summer months, the time when the sun is strongest. Fleur de sels have a higher mineral content than basic table salt. Fleur de sels can smell like the ocean, and it tends to be grayish in color. Use as a “Finishing” salt, like any other Sea Salt. You’ll notice that the flavors will seem to burst through, enhancing any meat, salad or baked foods.
