Can you imagine food without salt? Foreverfit introduces salt lovers to the range of salts in the market, each with it’s own unique flavour and distinct characteristics.
If there’s one seasoning you can’t do without, it’s salt. Despite all the flavourings, condiments and herbs that abound, this condiment always wins. Let’s face it, unsalted food is totally unpalatable!
Aside from the usual table salt, several other kinds are popular today. Though the common iodised variety is the most popular, these other kinds below, impart a whole new flavour to foods.
#1 Common/Table Salt
This is obtained by evaporating seawater, and purifying the residue to remove minerals and impurities. Common salt is made up of sodium chloride, an important combination of electrolytes for the body. In India, this is iodised, to tackle iodine deficiency in people.
Besides being a flavour enhancer, this is also used as a food preservative and binding agent. Though too much is bad for you, you must have enough to meet your body’s needs for electrolytes. For a normal healthy adult, 5g daily is the upward limit for consumption.
#2 Rock salt
This is obtained from rock formations in the Himalayan region of Pakistan. It has a unique smell due to the presence of sulfur, and a slightly pungent taste, which pairs well with fruit and spicy dishes. Also, rock salt is minimally processed.
#3 Sea salt
Like the common variety, sea salt is made by evaporating seawater. It contains the same amount of sodium chloride as common salt, but also other minerals like calcium and potassium.
Sea salt has a coarser texture than the common variety. Also, it is available in various colours- black, pink, grey- depending on the source. This condiment is used in many kinds of cuisine: salads, pasta sauces, casseroles and grills.
#4 Himalayan Pink salt
This pinkish condiment is a variety of rock salt, found in the Punjab region of Pakistan. It contains sodium chloride and some minerals too, and is pink because it contains impurities.
Himalayan salt is commonly sold in grinders or sprinklers. It is often infused with herbs, smoked or sold in exciting spice mixes. Though many laud its health benefits, these haven’t been proven clinically.
#5 Kosher salt
This comes from the sea, or rocks, and is highly crystalline. So, it is usually sprinkled on the surface of meat, to absorb the surface blood. Though this isn’t really different from common salt, the shape of the crystals makes it coarser. If you want to use this in a general recipe, make sure you add about 2 tsp Kosher salt, for every tsp of table salt.