Salt

"Why do you have so many types of salt?" This was a question posed to me by a friend as she watched me pack up my kitchen in preparation to move.

"Seriously? You, who are a self-proclaimed foodie and palette expert have to ask me that question," was my retort. "Please tell me you are joking."

"No, I am serious," came her bemused reply. "Salt is salt isn't it?"

Now, before we go any further, allow me to list my current stock of salts:

Regular Table Salt
Kosher Salt
Pink Himalayan Salt - Coarse for grinding
Black Himalayan Salt - Coarse for grinding
White Himalayan Salt - Coarse for grinding
Damp, Raw Sea Salt
Black Hawaiian Lava Salt
White Celtic Rosemary Salt
White Cyprus Flake Salt
Mesquite Smoked Salt
Rock Salt

I'm sure that you are now agreeing with her that 11 containers of salt in one kitchen are quite a bit. If I weren't the "foodie" that I am and have the self-trained palette that I do, I would probably agree. But for me these various salts are necessary for a good kitchen and there are many others that I would love to include were I able to find/afford/make them.

I will endeavor to do for you, in words alone, what I did for her with taste and words. That is, to enlighten you on the subtle, and not so subtle, differences in my salts.

Regular Table Salt: 40% sodium. Table Salt is highly processed and milled to very fine grains. Most other minerals are removed and anti-clumping agents, with oftentimes, iodine are added. The anti-clumping agent most commonly found in table salt is calcium silicate. Most U.S. Americans (I can't speak for other countries because I don't know about the particular salts they may use.) are aware of what normal table salt tastes like. "It's salty." But when you expand your palette to other salts you come to discern that if the salt is iodized you can indeed pick up that trace flavor.

Kosher Salt: 40% sodium. Kosher Salt has been processed somewhat less meaning that it retains some of its trace minerals. It isn't milled as much so the grains are much larger. Because of the larger grain size, if you sprinkle it on food after the cooking process, you will get a much larger hit of the salty flavor when it hits your tongue. Since it isn't iodized you won't pick up on that trace flavor although you may notice a very slight mineral taste. (If you are looking for it.)

Pink Himalayan Salt: 37% sodium. Himalayan Salt is primarily mined from the Khewra Slat Mine in Pakistan. It is one of the salts available that isn't harvested from the sea which gives it different qualities than the sea salts. There is very little processing done to Himalayan Salt which is why it is most often found in larger chunks that have to be hand ground at the table if adding it to food after cooking. The pink color comes from various amounts of iron oxide (yes, rust) that were trapped as the salt formed. Himalayan salts also naturally contain a little more trace minerals than their sea born relatives. Since Himalayan salts have a lower sodium content you won't experience quite as strong a hit as table salt when you eat it. The difference is very minute so you really have to train yourself to find it. The slightly easier difference to find is the level of the trace mineral taste. People who have an already well trained palette will notice this.

Black Himalayan Salt: 37% sodium. Black Himalayan Salt, also known as "Kala Namak," is a complex mineral compound with a very strong sulphur content and taste. Again, there is very little processing done to Himalayan Salt which is why it is most often found in larger chunks that have to be hand ground at the table if adding it to food after cooking. When you eat it after food has been cooked the saltiness hits quickly but then fades rapidly leaving a very rich mineral taste. I have discovered that much authentic Indian cooking is done with Black Himalayan Salt. 

White Himalayan Salt: 37% sodium.   White Himalayan Salt is generally found in the outer areas of the salt mine(s) and has a much lower iron content which is why it doesn't have any of the pinkish color. Since the White Himalayan Salt is much rarer it can be pricey but it is well worth the cost. The salt flavor hits about the same as the pink but without the iron hints. You can still taste the other minerals in it, but without that iron forefront the mineral balance has a very different profile. You can also find Himalayan Salts in varieties of orange and red colors based on the levels of iron in them. Obviously, the darker the color the higher the iron content so that will change the flavor profiles each time.

*As a side note Himalayan Salts contain all 84 essential trace elements required by the human body.

Damp, Raw Sea Salt: 38% sodium. Raw Sea Salt is barely processed at all. It is pretty much just harvested from the drying area, given a good rinse to remove any debris, dried a until it doesn't clump, and then bagged. This Raw Sea Salt will have more mineral content but also more impurities in it. The darker the salt the more impurities. Be aware also though, that because the oceans are being polluted more and more the chances of those impurities being harmful (such as heavy metals like lead or mercury) increase as well. I will often use this salt to flavor pasta water or other large liquid preparations because it is inexpensive and easily available. Also you don't have to use as much to achieve the same level of salty flavor in the water. If eaten straight, the Raw Sea Salt has a bit of a "brininess" to it's flavor as opposed to just a "saltiness."

Black Hawaiian Lava Salt: 36% Sodium. Black Hawaiian Lava Salt is a sea salt that is harvested by using a traditional solar evaporation method which allows the trace minerals and elements to remain in the salt crystals as they form. The black color actually comes from coconut shell charcoal that is added to the salt. This does affect the flavor of the salt but in a good way. When used on foods after they are cooked you get a quick hit of the "saltiness" that is rapidly overshadowed by the rich mineral and coconut charcoal notes. Together the flavor can be said to have a "nutty" aspect.

White Celtic Rosemary Salt: 34% sodium. Celtic Salt is also commonly called "Grey Salt." It gets that name from the gray clay in France that the sea salt is dried on. This salt is a little more pricey due to it being hand raked during the evaporation process. The evaporation and raking are pretty much the only processing done to this salt which also tends to leave it a little damp feeling. (Nothing at all like the Raw Sea Salt's dampness.) Because of the mineral qualities of the ocean water and clay found along the shores of France this salt has a good, clean mineral, yet delicate, taste and it is also good for restoring electrolyte balances in the body. Since my salt has had rosemary added to it, it has that beautiful, crisp, biting flavor of the rosemary over imposed onto the clean mineral flavor of the Celtic salt. Celtic Salt is one of the best salts to combine with herbal infusions due to its clean, delicate taste.

White Cyprus Flake Salt: 38% sodium. Flake Salt is sea salt evaporated in a rapid manner that changes the speed at which the outer and inner areas of the crystal form, thereby creating a flat or pyramid shaped crystal that is more brittle than the average salt crystal. This brittle, flatness creates a wonderful crunch when eaten by itself or on raw foods. If added to hot, already cooked foods it tends to dissolve or "melt" pretty quickly leaving a lovely saltiness but no iconic "crunch." Due to the process of creating salt flakes much of the trace mineral content is removed which makes the salt very white or even clear and gives it a "clean" flavor. Much more so than any other salt I have tasted.

Mesquite Smoked Salt: 38% sodium. Since the Mesquite Smoked Salt that I have is a smoked variety of sea salt it contains much of the same minerals and elements of all sea salts. But the difference comes in when it is dry smoked over hot, smokey, wood coals. In this case the wood was mesquite so the rich, aromatic flavors of mesquite were infused into the salt along with it's normal flavor qualities. Smoked salts are much drier to the touch than their regular sea salt companions, but sometimes can have a faint oilishness about them that leaves a lingering feeling on the fingers. Obviously they work great on meats but they can also add a unique flavor to raw vegetables or some candies. (Sea Salt Caramel is an entirely different beast when made with smoked sea salt. Think about that on your tongue....)By itself smoked salt's flavors are dominated by the type of wood smoke used but they still carry that unique mineral back note that some other salts do not provide.

Rock Salt: 40% sodium. Rock salt is essentially land mined table salt in its coarse, unrefined state. Most rock salt comes with all of the debris and mineral compounds it's mined with. At the very most it is washed and broken down into manageable "pebbles". Usage wise, it works best for brines or making ice cream. Since it isn't processed it does retain the flavors of the minerals and elements that formed with it, which when making a brine, come out in the final flavor profile to a small degree. (This is why you can follow the same recipe for your brine and it have small variances in flavor.) If you ever place a piece of rock salt on your tongue you will be hit hard with a blast of saltiness that you probably weren't prepared for. This isn't due to any real difference in the salt, but due to its size which allows it to cover more acreage of your tongue. Because of this intensity the trace mineral flavors are overwhelmed and you cannot taste them. This is why I believe that if you ever want to experience pure salt flavor, use a piece of rock salt directly on your tongue. You won't be able to taste anything else. At all!

 I hope that this dive into my salt collection has helped you to appreciate the world of salt and to also demonstrate my answer to my friend's question of why I needed so much salt. If you have not already experimented with varying salts, I hope this essay has encouraged you to do so. If you plan on doing any side by side tasting though, please do so just as you would wine or liquor, start with the lightest flavors and work your way up to the strongest. If you start with Rock Salt you won't be able to taste anything else for a while.

Good luck and happy eating.