Different Types of Salt

By Iyath Adam 

Salt is one of the most commonly used ingredients in cooking, but did you know that there are several different types?

From table salt and sea salt and kosher salt, each variety has its own unique characteristics and uses. Here's a look at some of the most popular types of salt and what makes them different!

Table salt

Table salt is the most common type of salt that we use for cooking at home. It is a very fine grain salt that is mined, then processed to remove trace minerals (like calcium and magnesium) and supplemented with anti-caking agents to prevent clumping and increase shelf life. Because of this, table salt is considered less “natural” than many other types of salt. However, it is great as an all-around salt and can be used in seasoning, cooking and baking.

Table salt is also often iodised as an easy way to prevent iodine deficiency and support thyroid health in a large number of the population.

Kosher salt

Kosher salt is made from underground rock salt deposits and doesn’t have many trace minerals in it, making this a very “clean” salt. It is often a coarse grain salt, meaning that its salt crystals are larger and take a longer time to dissolve than fine grain salt (like table salt). Because of this, it is great to use when cooking dishes and seasoning meat but doesn’t work as well in baking, which requires the salt to be dissolved quickly.

If you’re substituting kosher salt for table salt in a recipe, make sure to use a bit more than the measurement given; because table salt is finer and denser than kosher salt, it packs more in measuring spoons, making it taste saltier than the same amount of kosher salt.

Sea salt

Sea salt, as the name suggests, is made by evaporating seawater. It’s usually coarse grained and is great to use as a finishing salt in both sweet and savoury dishes (think sprinkling on tops of chocolate chip cookies and grilled steaks) – and a little goes a long way!

One of the most sought-after and expensive types of sea salt is fleur de sel (meaning “flower of salt” in French) – a naturally occurring salt that is formed on the surface of sea water as it evaporates and is harvested by hand.

Himalayan pink salt

This pink salt is made from the rock crystals near the Himalayan region. What gives the salt its namesake pinkish or rosy hue is the different trace minerals found in it (like iron, zinc and potassium). Because of this, pink salt is often considered “healthier” than table salt.

Pink salt is available in both fine grain and coarse grain. It often tastes saltier than other types of salt, which makes it great to add as a finishing component in sauces and marinades.

Himalayan black salt 

Another salt from the Himalayan region, black salt or “kala namak” is made at high temperatures in kilns from the volcanic rock salt found on the mountain. It has a bold, umami-like and sulfuric or “eggy” taste and is most often used in South Asian dishes (like chaat, chutney and even raitas) and even in plant-based cooking to add depth in flavour.