“Salt is what makes things taste bad when it isn’t in them.” – Unknown
Salt is made up of two elements: Sodium and chlorine, both of which are essential for human life, animal life, as well as for cooking. It is the magic ingredient, the elixir of life! There are many types of salt: sea salt, Himalayan Pink, Kosher, table salt, you name it.
How do we know, though, what the difference is of all these salts? You read this article, that’s how you know!
Sea Salt- Made from evaporated water from the ocean, it is made primarily of sodium and chlorine, but since it is from the ocean, there can also be trace amount of other minerals, such as potassium, zinc, and iron. Since it is from the ocean, however, you have to look out for impurities. It’s sad, but true! Generally, the darker the color of the salt, the more impurities there are.
Himalayan Pink- Harvested in Pakistan, at the the Khewra Salt Mine, it is usually the most prefered type of salt among chefs and salt lovers everywhere! It contains small amounts of iron oxide/rust (giving it its pinkish color), as well as trace amounts of magnesium, potassium, calcium, and iron.
Kosher- You see, Jewish law requires that all the blood is removed from meat before it is eaten. Kosher salt is made of a flaky, course structure that is ideal for extracting blood from food. So, aside from it’s initial texture, it is rather difficult to taste the different of kosher salt vs. table salt once it is in the food.
Table Salt/Refined Salt- The most popular type of salt in the world! This is the type of salt you use for everything: popcorn, green beans, soups, you name it! This is the most refined type of salt you can buy today, it is 97% sodium chloride, and hardly any impurities or other minerals. However, due to a national deficiency in iodine, a bit of iodine is added to table salt.
