Varieties of Salt and Their Differences

Varieties of Salt and Their Differences

There are many different types of salt and their differences. Sea salt comes in crystalline, flaked, and coarse varieties. The color and consistency of these salts depends on the minerals that make them up. Crystalline sea salt is best for finishing foods and salads, while flaked sea salt is best for garnish. Fleur de sel is a fine sea salt harvested from ponds on the coast of France. However, this type of salt is more expensive than sea salt and may not be available in all markets.

Pink SaltMany people prefer to use coarse pink Himalayan salt for cooking and baking. It is the purest salt in the world, and is often added to cooked dishes for nutritional value. Crushed pink salt is a favorite among gourmets and chefs, as it dissolves easily in water. It’s great for cooking, too, as it enhances the flavor of fruits and vegetables. For an even greater variety of flavors, try gourmet salts.

Flake salt is collected from evaporated sea water. It is coarser than fleur de sel, but retains a sparkly flavor. It’s best used as a finishing salt, and is also used to make flavored butters and salad dressings. Flake salt has a slightly damp texture, making it perfect for finishing dishes. In Indian cooking, it can be used in fruit salads, chutneys, and raitas.

Fleur De Sel SaltFleur de sel is an expensive variety of salt. It’s harvested using wooden rakes and is often used in French cooking. Its distinctive flavor comes from crystals of salt that form naturally on salt evaporation ponds. This type is the most expensive, and has a slightly blue-grey hue. It can be as much as $30 per pound. It is perfect for finishing dishes, and can be used to season meats and desserts.

Kosher salt is coarse and is used for seasoning meat. Kosher salt is used in cooking because the large flakes don’t oversalt meat. Sea salt has an elegant flavor, and its flakes tend to be irregularly shaped. Kosher salt is not iodized, but it is highly refined and has a large grain size. Kosher salt is generally more expensive than table salt, but is used in cooking and baking.

Although studies have not been conducted to determine if different salts have the same health benefits, they are a must for any food. Most salts contain 98% sodium chloride, and trace minerals make up about 2%. Though these trace minerals help the body function properly, the difference is likely too small to be a significant factor. So, your choice of salt will largely depend on what you prefer and what you cook the most. If you want to find the right salt, read on to find out more.

Pink salt is often harvested in the foothills of the Himalayas, and its color stems from iron oxide. Because it contains low amounts of sodium, it looks and tastes more like regular table salt. While this salt has a more subtle flavor than regular salt, its pink color is fashionable and trendy. When used on grilled meats, it imparts a subtle flavor that makes it perfect for grilled dishes. Then there’s smoked sea salt, which has been smoked. If you like your salt with a touch of smoke, try using a variety of salt that is pink.

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