So you wanna know about: Salt

Salt, the only mineral condiment we use in our food has more history than you'd think. There is a whole Institute of Salt, Literature about it and even a Salt Museum here in New York.
The ancient world used Salt as a currency at various times and places. In Ancient Rome, salt was so valuable, soldier were often paid part of their wage through it. Originating the Latin-derived term meaning a payment, it is the root of the word "salary". A natural preservative, salt eliminated our dependency upon the seasonal availability of food, allowing travel over long distances.

In terms of variety, Salt has two main sources. Sea Salt, which is distilled from sea water and rock salt, which is found in crystalline forms in the earth. So you may be thinking, well...salt is salt. What is the point of this?

Well, to the discriminating taste bud, salt my friends, is not just salt. Pumped full of sodium by all the processed food Americans eat, very few actually understand that there are different salt with different tastes, meant for different things.

Kosher Salt, is one of the most commonly used varieties of salt. Kosher salt, unlike common table salt, typically contains no additives, like Iodine. Kosher salt has a much larger grain size than regular table salt, and a cleaner, brighter, more delicate taste. it also dissolves faster and the flavor disperses more quickly. Kosher salt gets it's name because of its use in making meats kosher by extracting the blood from meet, not because it follows the guidelines for kosher food as written in the Torah. When substituting kosher salt for table salt, the basic rule is twice as much kosher salt by volume to replace table salt.

Table salt is refined salt, nearly pure sodium chloride. It usually contains substances such as silicoaluminate, an anti-caking agent as well as a very small amount of sugar to prevent discoloration. Table salt is often iodised with a small amount of potassium iodide to reduce iodine deficiencies. Iodine is important to prevent the insufficient production of thyroid hormones, causing goiters, cretinism and myxedema. Table salt has a hard, nearly metallic taste.

Sea salt is obtained by evaporating seawater. Due to the higher expense of processing sea salt, as opposed to mining it, it is more expensive than other salts. It is often considered superior to other salts for its taste and texture. There are many different varieties, including grey salt, and Himalayan red and pink salt.

So, how do you know what to use and when? It's all about taste. I almost exclusively use kosher salt in my cooking. I tend to prefer the softer, more delicate taste it offers. I have sea salt, given to me as a gift that I use sparingly for special occasions. Salt will never go bad, though it will absorb moisture, so it is best to keep it in a dry cool area. If moisture does leak in, simply break up the caked salt or dried in the oven with no harm.

Other uses for salt include curing, canning, brining and many house hold uses.