12 Types Of Salt And When To Use Them

From as early as 6000 B.C., humans were harvesting salt from natural sources and using it to flavor their food. As of 2700 B.C., over 40 different types of salt were known to Ancient Chinese communities as well as two extraction and processing methods. As time progressed, salt use became more widespread; it was used to preserve food, treat wounds, and tan leather. As a precious commodity, salt was the basis of numerous conflicts and was famously used as currency in Ancient Roman armies.

Today, salt is viewed in a much different light. Instead of being a scarce, highly valued resource, it is an abundant, widely available product. Whereas our ancestors were worried about not having enough salt, most modern Americans are consuming too much, an overindulgence that largely results from the ingestion of highly processed foods. When cooking our own food, salt is often viewed as an afterthought. One type is usually used for every culinary task. While common, this practice is far from ideal.

Most salt, including table, sea, or rock, is nearly 100% sodium chloride. Only slight variations in composition account for differences from one type to another. These differences, however small, do result in each salt having its own characteristics. As a result, every type of salt is suited to a few, particular culinary tasks.

Kosher salt is a coarse style of salt that comes in the form of pebbles rather than tightly packed granules. Usually, this salt is mined from salt deposits, although it can be made via the collection and evaporation of seawater. Kosher salt was traditionally used to draw the blood from meat via the process of osmosis thus making it kosher.

Kosher salt has many culinary uses aside from drawing the blood from meat. It is a popular finishing salt for reasons explained to Taste by Melissa Clark, dining columnist at The New York Times: "The large grains fall easily on a piece of meat, and chefs get to know how much their pinch encompasses. So they can season by feel rather than measuring." Furthermore, the coarse grains are easy to pick up and distribute. Many cooks use kosher salt as their default salt thanks to the control this gives them. Another added benefit of using kosher salt is that it does not contain iodine. Its absence gives kosher salt a cleaner taste that is superior to table salt.

When using kosher salt, there is one thing to be aware of: not all kosher salt is alike. Two popular brands, Diamond Crystal and Morton, vary from one another so much that substituting the same measure of Morton salt for Diamond Crystal can result in unpalatable, overly-salted dishes. Cooks are advised to pick one brand and stick to it.

The vast majority of Himalayan salt comes from the Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan. The minerals present in this area give Himalayan salt a pink hue. People also claim that these trace minerals are responsible for a host of health benefits that are loosely associated with the salt. Nearly all these claims are contested.

While its alleged health benefits are unproven, there is no denying that Himalayan salt's hue makes it incredibly attractive. As a result, cooks are most likely to use Himalayan salt as a finishing salt, bringing extra color to their dishes.

Uniquely, Himalayan salt is also used for other culinary uses aside from seasoning. Blocks of salt are popular features in meat aging rooms. It is thought the salt blocks draw moisture from the meat and imbue it with a complex minerality flavor.

Chefs have even been known to cook on blocks of Himalayan salt. As they are dense, Himalayan salt blocks retain heat well enough for thin strips of meat or fish to be seared on them. They are often used for serving and can keep steaks up to temperature until the last bite. The opposite is also true; a frozen Himalayan salt block prevents ice cream from melting prematurely.

Flake salt can be either rock salt or sea salt that comes in the form of thin flakes. In terms of rock salt, these flakes are attained by compressing milled, uniform grains of table salt. If made from sea salt, these flakes naturally take the form of a flat pyramid due to the evaporation process.

The main attraction of flake salt is its texture. The flat shape creates a distinct crunch that other types of salt do not. Of course, if the salt is dissolved, this texture disappears. For this reason, flake salt is best used to sprinkle atop dishes, especially meat and fish, adding a slight but evident textural contrast. Pyramid-shaped sea salt, such as that produced by Maldon, still has this crunch, albeit a softer version.

One of the most popular brands of flake salt is Maldon, a British brand that has been producing flake sea salt for generations. This brand of flake salt has a distinct flavor, one that owner Steve Osborne described to Foodism as: "not as hard and intense as regular salt [...] the magnesium content in our salt is relatively low: it's magnesium that makes salt bitter."

Garlic salt is made by blending garlic powder with any type of salt. The general ratio is three parts salt to every part garlic powder. If table salt is used, an anti-caking agent will usually be added.

Although garlic powder is less potent than fresh garlic, garlic salt still packs a punch. This makes it a great option for when sauces, stews, and other dishes are bland. It also goes particularly well with creamy dishes as well as beef. Salad dressings can also benefit from a sprinkling of garlic salt.

While it can be used as a substitute for garlic powder, smaller amounts of garlic salt should always be used lest the dish become overly salted. For this same reason, garlic salt is not recommended for use in place of fresh garlic.

While most other salts are limited in their customizability, various styles of garlic salt abound. Generally, these utilize different types of garlic. For example, black garlic salt presents the savory flavors of fermented garlic. On the other hand, wild garlic salt is sweeter and retains some spice. Of course, these styles of garlic salt will be best utilized in different dishes.

Rock salt is the umbrella term for any salt that has been harvested from the earth. The salt is often taken from vast mines. It often takes the form of blocks such as those associated with Himalayan salt. Whereas table salt is processed to remove many of its impurities, rock salt is not. This results in salts of varying colors, tastes, and mineral contents.

Rock salt is plentiful and cheap. This makes it a great option for when vast quantities of salt are needed. In the kitchen, the most prominent example of this is salt baking; using rock salt to cover fish, vegetables, or meat before baking is much cheaper than employing an equal amount of other, premium salts.

It is important to note that not all rock salts are food-safe. Care should be taken to only purchase and cook with products that are clearly labeled as food-grade salt.

Pickling salt is a specific type of salt that's designed for pickling foods. As a fine-grained, pure salt, it is uniquely suited to this task; the small grains ensure the salt dissolves easily and quickly into the pickling liquid. Its purity is also important as anti-caking agents, additives, and some minerals can affect the taste and appearance of both the pickling liquid and the pickled food. This is one of the main reasons why rock salt is not recommended for pickling.

Similarly to table salt, pickling salt is very fine-grained. As such, swapping it for other, coarser salts, such as kosher, can lead to over or under-salting when measuring by volume. Mismeasuring can be especially problematic during the pickling process as a 5% saline solution is required for the right bacteria to thrive. Without this bacteria, the food may spoil.

Pickling salt can be used for cooking processes outside of pickling. However, the lack of an anti-caking agent may result in the salt clumping and becoming difficult to use.