Salt is one of the most essential elements in the kitchen, enhancing flavor, adding saltiness, and bringing out depth and richness in your food. No wonder that almost any cuisine around the world - from South-East Asia to the Middle-East, Europe all the way to the Americas - is using salt to enrich their traditional dishes. 

So what exactly is salt? Why do we sprinkle it over all kinds of recipes, from salads to curries and even desserts? And which types should you have in your kitchen? 

That’s what you’re about to discover now. 

What is salt?

One of the most abundant and essential minerals on earth, salt has been used since the birth of early civilization to preserve and season food.  Discovered thousands of years BC, salt was used by the ancient Chinese to preserve fish and soybeans, by the Egyptians in mummification, and as a trade commodity by the Romans.  

Salt was so valuable in Ancient Rome that it was sometimes used as currency, in fact, the Latin word for salt, ‘sal’, derives from the soldier’s monthly allowance ‘salarium’.  Essential to human survival but deadly in large quantities, this ‘white gold’ was a highly valuable commodity, traded around the world from around 2800 BC. 

In chemical terms, salt is a neutral compound formed when positive ions attach to negative ions. The most common salt consumed, sodium chloride, forms when hydrochloric acid is added to sodium hydroxide.  

Salt comes from two main sources, seawater, which contains around 35 parts of salt per thousand or 3.5% of the sea’s total weight, and salt beds, underground salt deposits left from the evaporation of enclosed lakes and seas.

Why is salt so important in cooking?

Salt is one of the 5 taste senses, along with sweet, sour, bitter, and umami.  We’re all familiar with TV chefs sprinkling handfuls of flaky sea salt onto their creations, and while we might not need quite that much, salt really helps to boost the flavor of your food. 

It stimulates our taste receptors by enhancing sweetness and diminishing bitterness, essentially making everything taste better. Try adding some salt to a boiled potato, a slice of avocado, or even your morning coffee for a new taste sensation.

Did you know that salt is one of just three powerful ingredients in sourdough baking? Combine it with flour and water and you'll be able to make your own fermented homemade bread. Salt has been used for centuries as a key ingredient in the fermentation of vegetables, including sauerkraut and kimchi. 

The different types of salt

There are 9 important types of edible salt that you should know about. Let’s take a look at each of them: what are they used for, and what are their benefits. 

Table Salt

Table salt is a refined salt, usually mined from underground salt deposits and processed to eliminate minerals.  Consisting of 97-99% sodium chloride, iodine is added, along with anti-caking agents which help the salt flow easily. 

It’s the salt most likely to be in your pantry and is commonly added to recipes to enhance flavor. While table salt is most easily available, it is also the less ideal salt for more high-quality cooking. 

Sea Salt

Sea salt comes from evaporated seawater and is minimally processed, resulting in coarser grains. This type of salt naturally varies in mineral content, taste, and color, depending on which sea it came from.

Is it healthier than table salt?  In terms of mineral content, it contains a minuscule amount and generally, these minerals would be consumed as part of a healthy diet, it’s more a question of taste and texture preference.

Sea salt often has a more flaky consistency than table salt, making it ideal to add texture and a little crunch to your final salad or pasta bowl.

Kosher Salt

Another less refined salt, kosher salt is composed of large, crunchy flakes.  More expensive than table salt, chefs often prefer to use kosher than table salt as it doesn’t contain iodine and the larger flakes make it easier to pinch and add to food.

Again, kosher salt is often sprinkled over a dish at the end of the cooking process to retain its flaky texture and give each bite an interesting sensation. 

Himalayan Salt

Mined from the Salt Range mountains in the Punjab region of Pakistan, Himalayan salt is famed for its health benefits. You can even purchase Himalayan salt lamps, believed to help boost mood and wellbeing. It consists mainly of sodium chloride with trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc. 

The trace minerals in some of the salt veins often give the salt a pink tinge. It’s nutritionally similar to table salt but does not include iodine.

Be aware that Himalayan salt, compared to table salt or sea salt, tends to color your dish slightly in a pinkish tone.

Fleur de sel

Meaning ‘flower of salt’ in French, this completely natural salt is derived from Atlantic seawater off the coast of France. Touted as the most refined and delicate of all salts, the characteristic pyramid-shaped crystals of fleur de sel are formed as a thin crust when the surface of the seawater is evaporated. 

Since it can only be collected under the perfect weather conditions (sunny, dry, steady wind), only small quantities are typically produced at once. Hand-harvested in France during the summer months, Fleur de sel is up to 200 times more expensive than conventional table salt.

Again, it is used as a finishing salt, not as a cooking salt. You would add it just before serving your dish to enhance the flavor of your food and keep the salt’s flaky texture. 

Sel Gris

Sel Gris is French for “grey salt” and it refers to the salt’s distinct color. Sometimes also known as “Celtic salt”, sel gris is harvested from the top layer of seawater in much the same way as fleur de sel. However, it is taken from the bottom of the clay-lined salt pan, rather than the top, hence its grey color.

It is harvested at the French Atlantic coast in the Guérande region. Even today, it is still collected by hand using traditional harvesting methods. 

Compared to regular table salt, it still has some residual humidity. This makes it less ideal for a conventional salt grinder. Instead, you would sprinkle it by hand over your food or use a mortar or ceramic salt grinder.

Coarser than fleur de sel, this is another valuable salt, highly rated by chefs. It has a slightly less salty and more aromatic flavor compared to regular table salt.

Smoked salt

Smoked salts are flakes of sea or rock salt that have been smoked over a wood fire. The most common woods used are oak, applewood, alder, and hickory. It is delicious sprinkled over grilled vegetables and its smoky flavor makes it a great substitute for bacon crumbles, you can even make your own!

While it is especially prominent in Northern American households, it is still relatively unknown in Europe and other parts of the world. 

Hawaiian red salt

Hawaiian red salt is a mineral-rich salt coming from the Molokai island of Hawaii. Also known as red alaea salt, Hawaiian red salt is an unrefined sea salt that has been mixed with iron-oxide-rich volcanic clay, giving it a strikingly characteristic red color. It has a rather mild saltiness and hints of sweetness. This salt is traditionally used in Hawaiian dishes such as poke and pipikaula.

Black salt (kala namak)

Also known as Himalayan black salt, this is a type of volcanic rock salt. It is a specialty in Indian cuisine. Having a high content of sulfur and iron, black salt carries a pungent aroma and a smoky, tangy taste. In vegan cooking, it is often used in dishes to mimic the flavor of eggs. It is believed to have health benefits, aiding flatulence and heartburn.