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Salt is the most common ingredient used in everyday cooking. It is made with the bonding of sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) molecules forming a chemical composition known as Sodium Chloride (NaCl), which is often referred to as Table Salt. This little chemical sitting on the kitchen deck does more than just make dishes salty.
Salt helps in balancing and enhancing the flavour profile of numerous dishes. It is an essential component of many recipes, regardless of whether they are savoury or sweet. You might have used salt to adjust the sweetness of your desserts, tenderise meats, and create brine for cooking. More than that, it has also been used as a preservative and fermenting agent.
There are 12 different kinds of salts with each having different functions in the kitchen. Sounds intriguing, right? These other salts have a unique flavour profile and textures that add a distinct characteristic to dishes. Learn more about these salts and how they can enhance your cooking.
Know These Different Salts And Their Purpose
1) Table Salt
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Table salt is the most common salt which is also called refined salt or common salt. Sometimes, due to the addition of iodine, it becomes iodised salt which is added to cure iodine deficiency along with other health benefits. You can use this salt for seasoning, flavour enhancing, fermenting, brining, preservation and almost any kitchen use. But due to its fine grain size, there are many other variants that can do other jobs better.
2) Granulated Salt or Pickling Salt
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Granulated Salt is a coarse version of table salt with a bigger grain size, making it suitable for salt rubs for meat, poultry and seafood. With a larger grain size, it dissolves more slowly which makes it a better substitute for pickling and fermenting that keeps the brine activated for a long time. The pure version of this salt is called Pickling Salt which does not include any additives or caking agents and, as the name says, this salt is commonly used for pickling and canning.
3) Flaky Salt
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Flaky salt or flake salt is a flaky version of table salt which derives much better flavour in every dish. This salt falls in the expensive category of salts because of its traditional methods of harvesting which are often time-consuming and labour intensive. This salt comes in several varieties, harvested from different regions. Some of the well-known varieties of flaky salt include Maldon Salt, Fleur de Sel, Cyprus Flake Salt and Australian Murray River Pink Salt Flakes. Maldon Salt with pyramid shaped crystal structure produced in Maldon, Essex in England. Fleur de Sel which has a slightly moist texture and is harvested from salt ponds in regions like Brittany, France. Cyprus Flake Salt comes from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and is identified by large, pyramid-shaped flakes more significant than Maldon Salt.
4) Smoked Salt
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Smoked salt is prepared by smoking sea salt or rock salt in wood for up to 14 days which brings out a subtle flavour with bold and sweet nodes. The woods commonly used in smoking are hickory, mesquite, oak, applewood, and alderwood. Each of these woods brings out different flavours in the salt and is famously used for marinades and gourmet cooking.
5) Black Salt
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Black Salt is famously used in cuisines in South Asian regions, particularly in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This salt is especially used for seasoning savoury snacks called chaat. Different versions of this salts have different hues of black, some being dark in shade while some having a brownish tint. It is also profoundly used in Ayurvedic medicine for treating common digestive issues.
6) Rock Salt
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Rock Salt or Sendha namak is commonly eaten during fasts in India which has a cold potency that keeps the body calm and shuns the desire of overeating. Rock salt is very beneficial because of its low sodium and high potassium content. This helps in maintaining electrolyte levels in the body which keeps the energy up. You can replace your regular salt with rock salt for a more healthier diet.
7) Sea Salt
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As the name says, this salt is derived from evaporated seawater. Along with its base composition of NaCl, sea salt also includes traces of other minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sulphates which gives it a distinct flavour. Due to the mineral composition, it is also considered better than table salt.
8) Kosher Salt
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Kosher Salt is popularly used for koshering meat. Its name is derived from the Jewish tradition of koshering which means extracting blood from meat. Due to its coarser texture, this salt helps in removing blood from the surface of the meat. Its coarse texture makes it dissolve quickly and therefore it is one of the favourite salts for bakers.
9) Himalayan Pink Salt
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Sourced from the Himalayan foothills, Himalayan Pink Salt is notable for its pink hue. This salt contains all 84 natural minerals found in the human body which is why its flavour is more complex than regular salts. It is commonly used for marinades and sauces. Other than culinary usage, it's also applied in spa and body healing.
10) Hawaiian Red Alaea Salt
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Hawaiian Red Alaea Salt got its name from the red Alaea clay that gets mixed in the salt while harvesting. This clay is rich in iron oxide, giving it its notable red colour. This salt is revered as a gourmet ingredient and is priced high for its unique flavour.
11) Truffle Salt
Truffle Salt is another gourmet ingredient which is made by infusing truffles in the salt giving it a special taste and depth. It's used in sauces, salads, marinades and also soups as a flavouring and garnishing ingredient. The most common truffles used in making this salt are white and black truffles, with each giving a different taste.
12) Grey Salt or Sel Gris
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Grey Salt or Sel gris has a peculiar grey colour which comes from the composition of clay and marshals during harvesting. This salt is harvested from the salt marshes on the Atlantic coast of France. Its mineral compositions include magnesium, potassium, and calcium which gives it an unmatched flavour than other salts.
All of these salts can be your special gourmet addition to meals and make you a master of flavours. If you want to be the celebrity chef in your house, include these salts in your pantry and make everyone a fan of your cooking.
