Salt is the most frequently used ingredient for flavoring and seasoning meals and every household buys it regularly. It is an essential part of our diet because it fulfills the daily requirement of sodium and other essential minerals. Sodium is required by the body for performing different functions and salt is an easy way to get sodium.
Different Types Of Salts
A huge variety of salt is available in the market, making it difficult to choose the right salt for daily use. So, it is important to know the types of salts, their benefits, and uses so that you can make the best choice.
In this article, we will be discussing different types of salts based on their source of origin, specific characteristics, attributes, and uses.
Table Salt
The most common and widely used salt is regular table salt. You will find it in every household around the world due to its cheap price and easy availability in the market. It has a very fine texture and pure white color. It is obtained from salt mines and undergoes proper washing, bleaching, and refining. During this process, some of the vital nutrients also get washed away.
Many producers externally add minerals to it, especially iodine, a vital nutrient for optimal thyroid health. To save it from caking, preservatives and anti-caking agents are also added to it. The main use of table salt is for seasoning and preserving the food. Other than in the food industry, table salt is also used in the agricultural and chemical industries.
Sea Salt
As the name suggests, this salt is obtained through the evaporation of seawater and requires minimal processing as compared to table salt. Thus, it retains essential minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The amount of processing depends on the water source.
Sea salt has a coarse grain structure and white color. It is more natural and mineral enriched than table salt. It is used as a seasoning and finishing salt for daily foods. You can also use it as bath salt by adding it to warm bath water.
Himalayan Pink Salt
This mineral-rich pink rock salt is obtained from centuries-old salt deposits. These deposits were formed due to the evaporation of water from the oceans. Himalayan salt is hand-mined using traditional mining methods. It remained covered under lava that protected it from environmental factors. The rocks of Himalayan salt are just washed to remove any dirt. It does not require refining like table salt.
Large crystalline salt rocks are crushed into different grain sizes or hand-carved to make different salt products. This salt contains almost 80+ minerals in traces that are good for health purposes. These minerals are also responsible for the unique light to the dark pink color of Himalayan salt crystals.
It is highly recommended by health advocates and top chefs as the ultimate seasoning. This is a premium form of specialty salt that can be used in everyday cooking and as a finishing salt. It enhances the flavor of dishes while adding essential minerals to your regular diet without any additives.
This versatile Himalayan pink rock salt is also available in the form of home décor and wellness products such as salt candle holders, salt lamps, cooking and serving blocks, bath salt, salt shot glasses, and salt inhalers.
Himalayan Black Salt
Mostly used in South Asian cuisine, this salt is also known as Kala Namak, black salt, or Sulemani Namak. Just like Himalayan pink salt, it is also harvested from Khewra salt mines located in Pakistan. It has a pinkish-brown color and a strong distinctive flavor. Its color ranges from dark brown to black with pinkish hues.
Himalayan black salt has high antioxidant properties and low sodium content. It also contains small quantities of essential minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium which help maintain good health. Black salt is said to aid in the production of bile in the liver. It is also a centuries-old treatment for indigestion, heartburn, water retention, and bloating.
Black Lava Salt
This is another form of sea salt that is obtained from the Pacific Ocean. This salt is known as black salt, Hawaiian black salt, and Hawaiian black lava salt. It is a mixture of sea salt and activated charcoal that gives it a pure black color. It is collected from the Pacific Ocean around the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian black lava sea salt is usually used as a finishing salt and is also sprinkled over fish and meat to enhance the flavor without overpowering their original taste. It also goes well with egg-based dishes.
Due to the presence of activated charcoal, this black salt makes an effective detoxifying bath. It cleanses the body, provides vital minerals, and improves skin texture.
Red Salt
It is another Hawaiian salt also known as alaea salt or red Hawaiian salt. It is an unrefined salt with a large quantity of iron oxide-rich volcanic clay mixed in it, giving it a distinctive red color. Other than iron, it contains a high concentration of essential minerals. It has a very crunchy texture and clean flavor that is less salty than table salt.
Alaea Hawaiian Red Sea Salt has been used by native Hawaiians to cleanse and purify homes and temples. They consider it sacred and use it for healing purposes and treating bug bites, broken bones, and burns. You can also enjoy its delicate flavor and crunchy texture on meat, salads, grilled fish, and vegetables.
Kosher Salt
It is a naturally occurring mineral and is mostly used to season food and koshering meat. It is harvested by evaporating seawater in the form of large white crystals.
This flaky white salt got its name from the famous Jewish meat koshering technique. Its crystals are large as compared to other salts. Due to this property, coarse kosher salt can easily draw out blood from meat veins.
Chefs like to use kosher salt for seasoning because of its rough texture and ease of use.
Celtic Salt
It is obtained by sun-drying the seawater. Light grey whole salt crystals are picked by hand with care from seashores around Brittany. Due to its ability to hold water, its crystals are mostly moist.
Free from anti-caking agents and other additives, this salt provides a balanced blend of vital minerals and elements. Celtic sea salt is unrefined and gives an exquisite taste to dishes.
Bottom Line
All these salts have different properties and apart from seasoning the meals, they are used for different purposes based on their specific characteristics and benefits.
