An Introduction to Salt
Salt is a mineral called sodium chloride. It's an essential nutrient for human survival, and we have evolved to crave it. Salt is also a flavor enhancer; it balances sweetness, minimizes bitterness and enhances aromas. Depending on when we add it to a recipe, it can also affect the texture of foods.
Samin Nosrat, from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, says it best: "Does this mean you should simply use more salt? No. It means use salt better. Add it in the right amount, at the right time, in the right form." If this sounds intriguing, we recommend adding this cookbook to your collection!
You should have at least two types of salt in your kitchen:
-
an inexpensive sea salt for everyday cooking
-
a special textured salt for finishing dishes
The denser the salt, the less you need. For example, our Himalayan salt is almost twice as heavy per teaspoon as our kosher flakes. That means it's twice as salty! Most modern cookbook recipes are written using the lighter flakes of kosher salt; if you are cooking with a dense table or Himalayan salt, you must use half as much as the recipe calls for.
