So whatís the deal with the current salt
craze? I turned on the TV the other day
and saw this fellow in Aspen who was
selling all kinds of salt; black, grey,
pink, fine, and chunky. Did I see glow
in the dark?
I suppose I have catching up to do. My
current repertoire of salt consists of
only two types: kosher salt and sea
salt. I like kosher simply because itís
plump, dissolves quickly and adds good
flavor to food. Sea salt is a wonderful
finishing salt for things like ripe
summer tomatoes.
I donít have much use for your standard
iodized table salt. To me it has an off
flavor that stings my mouth like movie
theatre popcorn.
No matter what its form, salt is sodium
chloride. We think of it as an
inexpensive condiment for cooking and
finishing foods. But it is also an
essential nutrient for the human body,
and it wasnít always cheap. In fact, it
was once so valuable that Roman soldiers
were paid a portion of their wages in
salt. This was called salarium
argentums, which evolved into our word
salary.
Salt was also one of the most effective
and widely used of all food
preservatives. After a good battle,
Roman soldiers were happy to chow down
on a huge hunk of salt-cured meat and a
homemade cupcake from the missus. It was
even used to preserve Egyptian mummies ñ
but donít try this at home, folks.
Salt mainly comes from two sources, the
sea and salt mines. And these sources
apparently make the difference that the
new designer salts are banking on.
Volcanoes, red clay, charcoal and other
naturally occurring processes makes
these salts look a bit different.
I also have seen smoked salts and ones
infused with herbs and citrus. Thereís
no harm in playing with them, but
remember that these salts are finishing
salts -- best for adding to a dish at
the very end, not for using during
cooking. I also recently read in a news
article that some manufactures were
caught dying salts and claiming to be
from an exotic far off land. So buyer
beware!
At the end of the day, Iím not sure how
many finishing salts we need in our
cupboard. One would seem enough, donít
you think? If you really want these
other flavors that are infused in the
designer salts, why not chop some fresh
herbs, smoke your meat or squeeze a
fresh lemon on your dish?
And above all, eat and enjoy!
Chef Stephen
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