daily dish - All Salts Are Not Created Equal
All Salts Are Not Created Equal
Did you know that all salts are really quite different? Table salt, kosher salt, and sea salt are the main kinds of salt you’ll find at the grocery store. Yet, take a look—and taste—and you’ll see just how different they are. The main difference is in the size of the salt crystals themselves. A good rule of thumb: the finer the crystals, the saltier the salt (smaller crystals mean more salt per teaspoon). Kosher salt —salt that is used for koshering (the process of drawing blood from butchered meat)—has larger crystals than table salt and thus tastes less salty. Table salt also contains iodine, which imparts a slightly metallic taste. Sea salt, made by evaporating sea water in large, shallow open-air ponds called salt pans, can be small or large grain but contains several minerals other than sodium, adding a certain complexity and color to the salt. If a recipe doesn’t specify which sort of salt is needed, use kosher salt. If using table salt, reduce the amount by almost half. Get familiar with the power of different salts so you can better control the seasoning of meat and vegetables without oversalting.
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