Best Salt for Cooking Explained By a Chef

In this short guide, we explain what is the best salt for cooking and what salt to use for various occasions. Salt comes in many forms and it can get hard to choose the right salt for your next meal.

TABLE SALT

Table salt is your everyday white granular salt found in most kitchens. It is most commonly mined from salt mines and then refined to remove other minerals until it is pure or close to pure sodium chloride.

Often you will find table salt referred to as iodized salt, this term refers to the fact that the manufacturer has added iodine.

This practice began in the earlier part of the last century in co-operation with the government to minimize the incidence of thyroid problems such as goiter, which an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by an iodine deficiency.

What’s the taste of table salt?

Table salt tastes slightly metallic, uninteresting and can easily become overpowering.

ROCK SALT

Rock salt is coarse and is usually mined from ancient salt deposits that are the result of very large bodies of water evaporating and leaving behind huge deposits of rock salt.

Rock salt is much less refined than everyday table salt and contains more minerals and often more impurities. Rock salt is good for cooking with and ideal to use in salt grinders.

I tend to use rock salt in blanching water as adding salt to water increases its boiling temperature and thus decreases the cooking time. I also use rock salt for presentation purposes such underneath oysters to keep them from falling over and for visual appeal.

What’s the taste of rock salt?

Rock salt can vary in taste depending on the region it is mined from and can possess interesting characteristics. It is mild and has a slightly earthy flavor, but again the taste varies based on the region it is mined from.

KOSHER SALT

Similar to rock salt, kosher salt is mined, but the processing and packaging is done according to Jewish guidelines. This means that no additives and chemicals are added to the salt therefore Kosher salt is not enriched with iodine like table salt.

It is also quite consistent in taste and texture.

HIMALAYAN SALT

Himalayan salt, also known as pink salt or Himalayan pink salt, is a type of rock salt that is mined in the Himalayan region, primarily in Pakistan. It gets its distinctive pink color from trace minerals present in the salt, such as iron oxide.

Himalayan salt is often marketed as a healthier alternative to regular table salt due to its mineral content. However, it’s important to note that the mineral content of Himalayan salt is very low, and its health benefits are not scientifically proven. You would have to eat a lethal amount of Himalayan salt to achieve helpful quantities of the other minerals, according to WebMD.

It’s now ubiquitous in stores around the world and it’s frequently used for its aesthetic appeal.

SEA SALT

Sea salt comes in many forms; granules, large crystals and flakes. Sea salt is cultivated from filtered high salt content sea water using a process of evaporation.

As the water evaporates salt crystals begin to form. The crystals are then allowed to settle, then removed, drained, dried and ready to use. Sea salt (as well as seafood for that matter) naturally contains iodine and supplementing, as often found in ordinary table salt is not required if sufficient amounts of either constitute part of your diet.

Is sea salt worth the extra cost? In my professional and personal opinion, definitely.

I tend not to use salt at the table as I believe if the chef has done his job there should be no need for the addition of salt.

However should a guest request salt I will serve them only pure sea salt flakes. My personal preference for sea salt is that of the English east coast, a region that has been producing beautiful flaky white soft crystals for centuries.

What’s the taste of sea salt?

When used in cooking it blends seamlessly with the food. When used at the table it imparts a slight saltiness without the brackishness or lip cringing effect of other salts.

A few flakes on the tongue and its oceanic origins become very apparent. Is sea salt worth the extra cost? In my professional and personal opinion, definitely.

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Related: Most Expensive Salt in the World
Related: 10 Alternatives to Kosher Salt

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