Table salt — it’s the kind of salt that can be found in most kitchens because it is easy on the pocket and readily available. So what’s wrong with it aside from the fact that too much of it is bad for the health? Table salt has actually gone through intensive processing, stripping off its beneficial mineral content until what’s left is just sodium chloride. Another problem with table salt is it tends to offer a blander and slightly bitter taste to your food.
Fortunately, there are numerous other types of salt on the current market, in particular the ones that are referred to as gourmet salt. Each type is unique and offers more benefits that your good old table salt. While it’s true that gourmet salt is not as cheap as table salt, opting for it can make wonders to your dishes. The use of gourmet salt is not only ideal for professional chefs, but also for everyone else who wants to impress their family and friends!
So the next time you are at your favorite supermarket, don’t feel intimidated by gourmet salt. You will never know how amazing they are as seasonings if you won’t welcome them into your kitchen. The following are just some of the different types of gourmet salt and the reasons why you should use them:
Coarse Salt
Also known as sale grosso or gos sel, coarse salt is made up of large crystals, making it ideal for use with a grinder. Since it is more resistant to moisture than table salt and most other types of salt, it is less susceptible to caking. Grinding it over meat, fish, soups, stews and others is a great idea.
Flake Salt
Every bit of flake salt looks like a snowflake! Such is obtained by allowing seawater to evaporate with the help of the sun and wind. Afterwards, it is slowly heated in an evaporating pan, creating its characteristic appearance. Flake salt is available in different flake sizes and thicknesses for a variety of special needs.
Flavored Salt
Are you on the hunt for some of the most unique and impressive seasonings on the planet? Then reach for several different bottles of flavored salt to make each and every dish you make truly memorable. All sorts of flavors can be fused with salt crystals — from lemon, garlic, jalapeno, matcha to espresso!
Grey Salt
The unique color of grey salt is due to the minerals of clay ponds on top of which this gourmet salt forms. Grey salt undergoes no processing, and is collected by hand using traditional techniques and nothing but wooden tools. Available in varying coarseness, it is becoming one of the most admired salts by professional chefs worldwide.
Hawaiian Sea Salt
Compared to your average sea salt, Hawaiian sea salt boasts of a more earthy and soft taste. It also comes in an eye-catching red color due to the addition of alae, which is actually baked red clay from volcanoes. Hawaiian sea salt is perfect not only as a seasoning, but also as a preservative.
Italian Sea Salt
The name of this gourmet salt makes it pretty obvious where it comes from. To be exact, it is obtained along Sicily’s coast. Saltwater is placed in pans and allowed to evaporate, leaving sea salt crystals behind. Afterwards, they are crushed and ground — the only processing methods Italian sea salt undergoes.
Smoked Salt
If you want to serve a treat with a hint of smoke flavor, then reach for a bottle of smoked salt. It’s the perfect seasoning on barbecue days! It’s also ideal for baked potatoes, grilled salmon, air-popped popcorn and many others! A sprinkle of smoked salt will instantly remind you of campfire fun.
Flower of Salt
Also known as fleur de sel, flower of salt is regarded as the cream of the crop. In fact, it is nicknamed “caviar of salts” by professional chefs all over the planet! This doesn’t come as a surprise because flower of salt is made up of crystals that have formed on evaporation ponds’ surfaces, making them packed with flavor and minerals.
