The Salt Of The Earth ~ Interesting Things About Salt
Not all salt is created equal. In fact there is a plethora of information about different kinds of salt, and how it is refined or processed for cooking and table use.
The most common type of salt is the plain old table salt we are all familiar with because it is what we see on the aisles of every grocery store. It is harvested using a process called solution mining. Salt wells are placed over the salt beds, and water is injected to dissolve the salt. This creates a liquid salty brine, which is treated with chemicals to remove all the natural trace minerals. This chemical treatment is called refining. Once all the trace minerals are removed, it is boiled and evaporated until only the salt remains. Often an anti-caking agent is added to prevent the salt from clumping together. The NaCl content is around 99%
It stands to reason, some of the higher quality salt comes from locations with minimal pollutants, less refinement, and a retention of the trace minerals. Some of the salts to consider trying:
Redmond Sea Salt comes from an ancient seabed in Utah, an area claimed to be free of pollutants. None of the natural minerals are stripped away, and nothing is added to this salt. Their website describes the taste as subtly sweet, with a range of nutritional benefits. The NaCl content varies by type, ranging from 90% to 98%
Himalayan pink salt is probably the best known sea salt. It is harvested by hand at the Khewra Salt Mine in the Himalayan mountains of Pakistan. This salt is considered by many to be the purest. It boasts 84 trace elements, and is rich in iron. It has a bolder flavour than more refined salts. The thing to note about all salt, is that it is predominantly Sodium Chloride. In this case it is 98% NaCl.
Himalayan black salt or kala namak in Nepal is made by covering Himalayan sea salt with bark, herbs, seeds, and charcoal. and then roasting it in a furnace for 24 hours. The colour ends up being reddish black. It also has a sulphur smell similar to boiled eggs. This salt is used in vegan dishes to mimic an egg flavour. It is also used in Ayurvedic medicine. It contains traces of Potassium, Magnesium and Iron. It is 98% NaCl.
Celtic sea salt is also known as grey salt, or sel gris. This is another popular salt among gourmet cooks. It is harvested by hand from dry ponds off the coast of France. When the seawater evaporates, it leaves the salt to bake in the sun at the bottom of the pond. The taste is distinctive and briny due to the clay and mineral content. It is favoured for roasting vegetables, and for grilled meat, and seafood. In this case the NaCl content is 84% This salt contains more minerals than most, to include Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. In addition to the grey colour, it is moist and chunky. The advantage of the high moisture content, is that it does not suck the moisture out of food as many other types of salt do.
Flake salt is thin, white, and irregular shaped. It has a very low mineral content, and has a bright salty taste. It tends to dissolve very quickly, therefore is best as a finishing salt on salads, meats, and savoury sweets. It is 99% NaCl.
Hawaiian black salt comes from the volcanic regions in Hawaii. Similar to the grey salt, it is harvested from locations where there are evaporated sea ponds. However, in this case it is the evaporated lava pools. The black colour is further enhanced with activated coconut charcoal. It has a strong earthy flavour with hints of sulfur. It contains traces of Potassium, Calcium and Iron. The NaCl content is 86%
Red Hawaiian salt comes from tidal pools of iron-rich volcanic clay, hence the red colour. According to the salt experts, this salt contains the highest percentage of trace minerals of any other brand of salt. It has a nutty flavour, and is most often used as a finishing salt. In addition, it was used to cleanse, purify and bless everything from houses, to tools, and even canoes. It contains Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and Iron. The NACl content is 84%
And finally what is the most expensive gourmet salt of in the world?
Some say it is Korean Bamboo Salt. This salt goes through a unique labour intensive process of roasting at high temperatures in bamboo tubes for up to 50 hours. During the roasting, the salt is infused with minerals. As a result, it is 81% NaCl with higher concentrations of minerals and electrolytes than most salt. This salt might be highly regarded in some circles, but there is a warning, as overuse can lead to hypernatremia, and act as a sodium replacement, which can seriously disrupt the electrolyte balance in the body.
And finally, the top of the line, and generally most expensive salt in the world is Fleur de Sel de Carmargue from France. It is harvested once a year, during the summer months. When the winds die down, the salt on the ponds rise to the surface to form millions of shimmering salt crystals. It requires skilled workers to gather the salt, as only the top layer of crystals are carefully raked. This salt contains Calcium, Potassium, Iodine, Magnesium and Copper. However, it is still around 97% NaCl. It is described as having a delicate flavour, and is used as a finishing salt, not for cooking.
The description in this post of the various types of salt, barely skims the surface, as there are many more types of salt from other locations in the world. One of the takeaways for me, is that I will not buy the standard type salt again, because of the chemical refinement, and anti-caking agent that is added to it. It sounds awful, whatever it is. The pink Himalayan sea salt is not too expensive, and can be found in most grocery stores, as a much better salt choice.
I just recently purchased a small jar of the Fleur de Sel Carmargue for around $12.00 at the local grocery store. The same salt is $20.00 on Amazon. So far I have only used it once, on roasted kale. The recipe called for a teaspoon of salt, but next time, I will just use a half a teaspoon, as in my opinion, the flavour is quite strong, and distinct, compared to most other salts. I know they described it as subtle, but I think it is a case of using less, which is a good thing.
It probably wouldn’t hurt any of us to go into more in-depth learning when it comes to salt, and the many varieties, and locations where it is harvested throughout the world.
After all, salt is something we use daily, and like many things we use daily, we tend to take it for granted. Either that or we are casually overusing it, because we are buying a brand that is so highly processed, it is bland and loses its flavour. Furthermore, it is treated with chemicals, prioritized as being un-clumped, and chemically inert, sitting and stagnating in a cardboard box.
Salt should not lose its flavour, or its trace minerals. Yes it is mostly NaCl, but the trace minerals are what gives it flavour, and more complexity.
Those who push the highly refined salt, or claim all salt is the same, will say we do not need the trace minerals anyway, as they are insignificant amounts. Our bodies do not need significant amounts of trace minerals.
Not that we should expect to get these minerals from salt alone, but rather we get them from a wide variety of nutritious foods. Foods should not be stripped of their nutrients. However highly processed foods, are usually stripped of nutrients, then fortified etc. with extra salt and sugar to give food the “bliss factor”. The bliss they are aiming for is a dopamine rush that keeps people coming back for more. That is why it is best to avoid the blissful food, and opt for a whole food diet. It is so much more nutritious.
Plus, we can look to the analogy of people with sound character, being called the salt of the earth. Once we learn more about the different types of salt, it brings an added layer of meaning to what it is to be called the salt of the earth, and how important it is for salt not to lose its flavour.
Matthew 5:13 describes it for us: