By Niveditha Kalyanaraman
November 9th, 2023
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Whether sweet or savory is your favourite taste, salt plays an important role in cooking. It takes dishes from just ho-hum to delicious, suppresses bitterness, and helps preserve food. Technically all salt is sea salt—even table salt, which is mined from rock (aka halite) that was formed by ancient bodies of water that no longer exist. But even so, not all salts are the same nor should they be used in the same way. Here are 7 types of salt.
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Also known as "iodized salt," table salt has very fine grains and contains potassium iodide and an anti-caking agent that helps prevent it from clumping.
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Kosher salt's texture is light but coarse (which helps you avoid over salting) and dissolves easily. It can be used in any application and is quite affordable.
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The purest of all salt, Himalayan pink salt is harvested from the Khewra Salt Mine in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan. Easily recognizable because of its pink color, this salt contains all 84 natural minerals found in the human body.
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Harvested from evaporated sea water, sea salt can be either very or lightly salty tasting, depending on where it's harvested, so make sure to taste it before using it. Sea salt also contains loads of minerals so it can have an intricate flavor.
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Flake salt is harvested from evaporated sea water—although its shape and texture are quite different. Light, thin, and irregularly shaped (often like pyramids), flake salt has a very bright taste and low mineral content.
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Red Hawaiian salt is sea salt that is mixed with iron oxide-rich volcanic clay. Its flavor is described as nutty. Its striking red color makes it perfect for garnishing finished dishes.
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Made by adding activated charcoal to sea salt, black Hawaiian salt is know for it’s strong flavor—often described as "earthy." Sprinkle on finished dishes.
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