Flavor Profile: Salt
Since this blog is all about flavor, I wanted to do a series of profiles on specific ingredients that can be added to food to maximize flavor. The obvious first choice is the most ubiquitous: salt. A key ingredient to all savory dishes, and even to some that are sweet, it cannot be denied that salt is the most important addition to the food we prepare.
Salt has been an integral part of human history. Its ability to preserve food was a valuable aid in the foundation of civilization. It eliminated the dependence on the seasonal availability of food and it allowed travel over long distances. Salt was difficult to obtain, so it was a highly valued trade item. Cities grew along "salt roads" all over Europe - one such road was even called the Via Salaria (which means salt) in Italy - some of which had been established in the Bronze Age.
There are 2 main sources: rock salt and sea salt. Rock salt occurs in vast beds of sedimentary evaporite minerals that result from the drying up of enclosed lakes and seas. Sea salt is of course obtained by the evaporation of sea water.
Varieties within those 2 categories abound. The most common that many of us grew up on is table salt (think Morton's), which is a highly refined sea salt to which iodine was added in the early 1900's because of goiter. Though goiter is hardly a problem in America any more, it still is in various countries around the world. There is considerable dispute among gourmets concerning the taste difference between regular table salt and sea salt, and though some claim there is none, others believe that sea salt has a mouthfeel that table salt simply doesn't have, and I agree. Table salt is quite economical but not that nutritious. The kind you want to eat and cook with is sea salt.
Salt has gotten a bad rap in the last several decades and salt-free diets sound like they are healthy, but unless you have a heart condition, salt can and should be included in a healthy diet. Think about it, salt is so vital to our existence that a portion of our tongues is even designated to taste it! The health benefits of salt include being rich in trace minerals, preventing dehydration and balancing fluids, and because salt is loaded with electrolytes, it promotes brain, muscle and nervous system function and supports digestive health.
Types of Sea Salt
Himalayan Sea Salt
Considered the purest salt available on the planet with a history dating back to Earth’s creation. It’s a beautiful translucent pink and contains all of the elements found in your body. This is the salt I use primarily because many experts in the field of health consider this the best salt nutritionally. I love the color, the texture and the taste.
Celtic Sea Salt
Comparable to Himalayan in its composition and health benefits, it’s of a grayish hue and is naturally harvested in Brittany, France near the Celtic Sea and interestingly retains its moisture and is moist to the touch, regardless of how it’s stored.
Other Types
Fleur de Sel is a type of sea salt obtained by harvesting the crystals that form on the surface of salt ponds. The harvesting of this type of salt always takes place in the hotter summer months, and now almost exclusively in the Mediterranean region. Most fleurs de sel often smell like the sea.
Hawaiian and Italian Sea Salts are other types as well, each with their own particular flavors and health benefits. Sea salt comes in a variety of colors other than white, such as gray, pink, black and even red! Explore the various kinds that are available.
Kosher salt gets its name because of its integral role in making meat kosher. Jewish law dictates that blood must be extracted from meat prior to consumption, and kosher salt's texture was created during the evaporation process so that it could better absorb blood (wish you hadn't learned that?). This shows that salt is a great extractor, which is why many eggplant recipes, for instance, call for each peeled slice to be sprinkled with salt and allowed to sit for 1/2 hour in order to extract the bitterness out before cooking. I've noticed that kosher salt is used quite frequently by celebrity chefs. It does not dissolve well, however.
Salt is what brings out food's true flavor, but it should enhance, never mask, the food it is added to. It should be in the background: there, but not noticed. Pay attention to when a recipe states to add the salt. It makes a difference to what you are cooking when the salt gets added. I usually add a little less than what's stated in the recipe and add to it if I feel it needs more. You can always add - it's much more difficult to take away!
Salts also come in various grains, from superfine to rock salt. I like superfine to add to baked goods, medium fine for nearly everything, somewhat course for sprinkling on top of things like focaccia where I want to bite into a little salt crystal, flakes for drawing out liquid, to courser types meant to be put into a salt grinder on the table, like you would for black pepper.
I was given a bottle of Smoked Applewood Sea Salt from the Laguna Salt Company that tastes divine on meat, eggs and vegetables alike. Herbamare is a delicious, healthy salt to sprinkle on a crudite of fresh vegetables, especially cucumbers, avocados and tomatoes that I have been eating for years. Celtic Sea Salt is another one of my “go to” salts. And a line of Alpine sea salts from Europe’s Bad Reichenhall have also become favorites: some have Alpine blossoms in the mix, making them pretty to sprinkle on as a finishing salt; one is a blend of herbs, and another has caraway seeds in it and makes a lovely addition to Kerrygold butter spread over some crusty sourdough!
I recommend you experiment with as many salt varieties as you can so that you discover what you like regarding taste and what you like putting it on. But either way, don’t shy away from it. It’s as vital to life as air and makes everything it touches taste better.
#seasaltaddsflavor #typesofsalt
