Also purchase at:

Indie Bound
Barnes & Noble
Borders

Users

Poll

Would you support a soda tax if the revenue went to improving our health care system?

View Results

Archives

Gourmet Salts - Pro or Con

03/28/06 @ 10:09:50 am, by Kate Hopkins Email 1399 views • Categories: Salt

Y'see, this is the kind of web site that gets me in trouble at home. Coming home with $100 worth of salt is a risky proposition, because it's a safe bet that I won't use a fair amount of anything I buy.

Here's the thing - part of me believes that some gourmet salts are simply a con perpetuated on an unknowing public. It's like bottled water in that some of the stuff is undoubtedly no better than the Morton Products you can find at the grocery store.

Part yet of me believes that there are some salts that are worth their weight in...uh...salt. To stretch the bottled water simile further, I believe there are salt versions of San Pelligrino out there -- flavors and textures distinct enough that an educated palate can tell them apart from the rest.

Besides, it's difficult to resist such names such as:

  • alaea hawaiian sea salt
  • Sal Del Mar
  • Fleur de Sel
  • Himilayan Pink Salt

The only way I can find which of those types of salt are worth having is to put them up in a taste testing. This means buying several versions of salt.

I am so in trouble. Not just because I'm about to purchase an excessive amount of salt. But also because I just realized that I'm obsessing about salt.

Technorati Tags: , ,


Permalink • 14 comments

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: Christiane [Visitor] · http://28cooks.blogspot.com
Whatever you don't use, you can just pass on to me! I'll make you an offer you can't refuse on any leftovers.
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 10:55
Comment from: barrett [Visitor] · http://www.toomanychefs.com
I'm a huge fan of Maldon sea salt. I use it as a "finishing salt" on any dish where the salt will be visible or where its texture will be noticable.
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 11:05
Comment from: Wowrie [Visitor]
I was also going to say that a true taste test would have to use each salt as an ingredient AND as a finishing salt. I received some Hawaiian Red Salt for Christmas this year & discovered it was best used as a finishing salt. I don't use it much, because while I tastes good on simple meats and vegatables, it gets lost on complicated sauces. Let's not even talk about the fact that my friend wants to try it on his favorite dish, Kraft Mac & Cheese!
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 11:35
Comment from: mk [Visitor] · http://mkcarroll.typepad.com
I checked the site to see if you'd gotten the real deal on the alaea, as funny enough, it's hard to find here. When you do spot it in a store, it's usually large-grain salt with a little coloring added to it. If, later on, you find yourself wanting to get a little more "microbrew" about it, drop me a line and I'll send you two different Hawaiian sea salts, one that my father evaporates using what used to be my favorite lasagna pan, and the other one that I collected from tidal pools (although it has Added Bonus Mineral Content in the form of small rocks and should either be used with great care or in a bath instead of in your food). It will have to be a little while though, it's been raining almost constantly for the past few weeks and my dad's salt isn't happening.
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 11:59
Comment from: George [Visitor]
Kate...I fear that you are treading a slippery slope; one from whence you may not return. In my experience, one can reach culinary nirvana with simple table salt, sea salt and kosher salt. I beg you, don't go near the water (salt that is).

The Hawaiian salts are actually pretty nice on fish or veggies. Otherwise, I think the cost far outweighs the benefits.

Can't wait to read your findings.
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 12:53
Comment from: Barbara Fisher [Visitor] · http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/
I've got some Danish smoked salt that i paid a ton of money for that is a great finishing salt. It is very dark brown sea salt that started out white, but has been smoked over hardwood in some weird way that fully imbues it with the savor of smoke.

Of course, I am sure that I will find out that it is actually made with liquid smoke or something, and that will just gag me, but it tastes nice sprinkled over simple roasted or sauteed meats.

Of course, I seldom roast or saute meats simply....so, yeah.

But, it is still interesting.

I kind of like Hawaiian pink salt as a flavor, but I can't discern it in cooking--only if sprinkled on at the end.
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 13:26
Comment from: Tana [Visitor] · http://smallfarms.typepad.com
I also am a fan of Maldon salt, as well as Trader Joe's kosher flake and sea salts. I never buy table salt any more, and I don't feel snobbish for saying so. I prefer my salt to be distinct, since I use so little of it. And honestly, I don't like the taste of Morton.

I wouldn't waste Maldon in a pot of boiling water, I use bulk sea salt for that.

But no, no Morton's or generic table salt for me, ever.

Good work, as ever, Kate.
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 13:56
Comment from: Amy [Visitor] · http://www.cookingwithamy.com
Are you a fan of San Pellegrino? If so you should know it's very high in salt. That's probably what you're tasting. (I would have assumed you avoid Nestle products)
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 13:59
Comment from: Joanne [Visitor] · http://www.ForkandBottle.com
The good thing to know is that salt is basically that - Salt.

From what I've read the perceived taste difference is
1) through the shape of the crystal - resulting in a texture difference
2) any trace minerals/preperations/or flavorings added like Smoked Salt.

We tasted 15 of them last summer from Alea to Indian Black Salt, Maldon, Fleur de Sel/sol (French & Portuguese), Gray Salt, Trapani, etc.

Pretty well the general concensus was there was no general concensus.

I always have at least 3 cooking salts out - one of them is always a finishing salt like Maldon. I currently am loving flavored salts: Profumo del Chianti and La Force Basque.
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 16:28
Comment from: Martha [Visitor] · http://www.2tastyladies.com
I'm pretty devoted to a number of fancy-pants salt. However, I only ever use them as finishing salts. So much of the impact of the salt comes from the shape of the crystal and how it dissolves on your tongue; it just seems wastful to dissolve it. Kosher is my go-to cooking salt. I don't remember which of his books it was in, but Jeffery Steingarten wrote a good piece about gourmet salts, if they actually make a difference, and if so, why.

I used to work in a kitchen store and at least a few times a week I had to talk customers out of buying $17 jars of gray salt to season pasta water with just because they saw Michael Chiarello do so on the food network. Of course, he sells gray salt in his Napa Style catalogue, so I suspect that might be behind his liberal use of it.
PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 16:38
Comment from: Penny [Visitor] · http://www.BostonZest.Com
>>Jeffery Steingarten wrote a good piece about >>gourmet salts, if they actually make a >>>difference, and if so, why.


I found it -- in audio form being read for the blind but you can listen if you like.

http://vielmetti.typepad.com/assistivemedia/2005/08/jeffrey_steinga.html

Penny

PermalinkPermalink 03/28/06 @ 17:14
Comment from: becky [Visitor] · http://www.SeasonalCornucopia.com
10 years ago on my first day of cooking school, they had us taste 4 or 5 salts, starting with a French sea salt and ending with Morton's. I had never thought to even taste salt on its own. I remember distinctly that the Morton's had a terrible chemical aftertaste. I've never used it since.
PermalinkPermalink 03/31/06 @ 00:51
Comment from: Betty Carlson [Visitor] · http://www.cuisinequotidienne.blogspot.com
So did you buy any vanilla salt, as I mentioned in a previous comment? If I had to reduce my spice closet to five herbs, spices and/or salts, I think I would keep vanilla salt!
PermalinkPermalink 04/02/06 @ 12:29
Comment from: heather [Visitor]
The Roosevelt Whole Foods has a salt tasting bar going on near the cheese and olive section.

It was quite fun to taste each grain on it's own!

(Actually, this was last week, so hopefully it's still going!)
PermalinkPermalink 04/10/06 @ 11:39

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be displayed on this site.
Your URL will be displayed.

Allowed XHTML tags: <p, ul, ol, li, dl, dt, dd, address, blockquote, ins, del, span, bdo, br, em, strong, dfn, code, samp, kdb, var, cite, abbr, acronym, q, sub, sup, tt, i, b, big, small>
(Line breaks become <br />)
(Set cookies for name, email and url)
(Allow users to contact you through a message form (your email will NOT be displayed.))
What color is a red balloon?

AH Food Journals

AH Guest Writers

AH Alumni

Blogroll