10 Types of Salt – Salt is an essential component of cooking. Salt balances sweetness, intensifies flavors, and even acts as a preservative.
To get the perfect taste and texture, it’s crucial to match the appropriate kind of salt to a given food or cooking technique.
Without further ado, let’s go and break down 10 types of salt and when to use them!
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Table of Contents
Types of Salt
Aside from being a flavor enhancer, do you know that salt also plays an important role in the healthiness of your body?
Yup, salt also serves an important role in your body in maintaining proper nerve function, and in the regulation of fluids in your body
1. Table Salt
Table salt is the most common type of salt and it is usually what you’ll find in many households.
Many table salts have the word “iodized” in its label. Iodine is a trace element vital to human health and is usually added to table salt thus creating the iodized salt.
The role of iodine in our body is to regulate the body’s metabolism and are essential for our growth and development.
Lack of iodine can lead to iodine deficiency, a condition that can result in developmental issues and other health problems mainly in pregnant women and children.
2. Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is characterized by its larger crystal size than table salt, making it easier to pinch and sprinkle.
Usually, kosher salt is extracted from underground salt reserves and then refined to eliminate any impurities.
3. Rock Salt
Rock salt is salt which has large and chunky crystals that is most commonly used to de-icing roads and or preservation of meats and cheeses.
This salt is usually aren’t meant for human consumption because it’s bigger crystal size making it harder to dissolve
4. Flakey Salt
Flakey salt is a thin, flat, irregular and delicate crystal. With a beautiful look and delicate crunch, flakey salt is usually used as a finishing touch in cuisine.
5. Sea Salt
As its name implies, sea salt is harvested from evaporated seawater that comes in different textures and colors.
This process can result in a salt that retains some minerals and impurities, giving it a unique flavor.
6. Fleur de Sel
Hailing from the coast of Brittany in France, Fleur the Sel is also usually used as a finishing salt.
7. Himalayan Pink Salt
Yes, the Himalayan pink salt indeed has a pink color. But, no, the Himalayan pink salt doesn’t come from the Himalayas as its name implies.
Actually, the himalayan pink salt is mined from the mountains mostly in Pakistan. The striking pink color that this type of salt has is due to its mineral content, particularly iron.
8. Pickling Salt
Pickling salt lives up to its name! Unlike table salt, it doesn’t have any extras like iodine or anti-clumping stuff.
This is important for pickling and canning, especially when fermenting, because those additives can mess with the good bacteria we want to grow.
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9. Black Salt
Don’t be fooled by the name! Black salt, also called kala namak, is a volcanic rock salt from South Asia (think India, Pakistan, Nepal).
It’s more of a pinkish-gray than black, especially when ground fine. But what it lacks in color, it makes up for in flavor.
Black salt has a strong, eggy smell and taste, making it a special ingredient in Indian and Southeast Asian dishes. It also adds a savory punch (think umami!), but a little goes a long way.
10. Smoked Salt
Craving smoky goodness? This salt gets its flavor by chilling out in wood smoke for weeks (yes, weeks!).
It’s perfect for giving grilled meats, roasted veggies, and even stews a smoky kick. Think ribs, pork, turkey – they’d all be best friends with this hickory smoked salt.
So here you are, 10 types of salt that you need to know!
Remember, salt is a personal choice! Different types have different strengths, so taste as you go and adjust to your liking.
Trying new salts is like exploring a flavor playground, so have fun and add a new one to your spice rack!
