PrintThe world of gourmet salt...
I took the plunge and inve$ted in some gray celtic salt, Himalayan pink salt and Bolivian Rose Salt...I even invested in one of those ceramic salt grinders...some salt is supposed to be good for your thyroid etc. because of all the natural minerals...
Question: Are you a salt minimalist or a salt maximus? Do you love salt or just tolerate it to enhance flavors?
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14 Comments:
Here is the rest of my comment btw...I went over the '500 character max' limit for a subject. Yeah, I'm a typing hog! lol
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I have to say...I love, love, love salt...such a pedestrian thing [I know, I know] but...when you can buy something from the "Jurassic" era...something is kinda neat and exciting about that. –Heck, for all I know I’m ingesting some Dinosaur saliva.
cheffy at 2:52PM on 08/05/07
I love salt. Warm bread, melted butter, and a pinch of good salt = heaven.
kathryn at 4:14PM on 08/05/07
Have any of you folks made your own salt? I do.We have a salt water well. The water is about 10 times heavier in volume than pure water. I slowly simmer the liquid out. What is left, is wonderful salt. I dry the salt on sheet pans, then sift to what ever size wanted. Course to fine. We have it tested at Okla.University. Wish I could sell it so others could enjoy my salt mine.
canna at 4:53PM on 08/05/07
Salt is salt --- that is true. And I don't think I have the ability to taste the minute amounts of trace elements that exist in pink or gray or sea salt to tell the difference between them and kosher salt *in solution*. But that's the key -- texturally, as a finishing element, I think those salts do "taste" different.
If Morton's or Diamond Crystals started making salt in different textures (apart from the table, kosher, and popcorn that they currently produce), they would probably be indistinguishable from the expensive gourmet stuff.
My current favorite salt is smoked salt. It is just as it sounds -- salt that has been smoked. You can buy it or make your own (I use kosher salt and hickory).
To answer the original question - I am not a salt-a-holic, but my food would be horrible without it!
Dominic
the zen kitchen
dvchurch at 5:49PM on 08/05/07
RE: canna
You make your own salt? That is the neatest thing EVER! How fascinating! Goodness gracious…that is so neat! I’m utterly flabbergasted and inspired by you at the same time…that truly ‘pickles me tink’…good for you! YAY! (I'd love a bit of your salt btw, blatantly obvious hint-hint-hint)! ;)
cheffy at 9:28PM on 08/05/07
This is where I bought my salt if anyone is interested:
http://www.saltworks.us/shop/category.asp?idCat=3
The above is the 'bulk' stuff...they have even more on the main page.
Love & White light,
Cheffy =0)
cheffy at 3:37AM on 08/06/07
Salt is the key to most things tasting good, and I am surpised how conservative people are with it, its not as if it is a rare commodity anymore. Food without salt is usually pretty lousy. Rock salt from a grinder is by far the best.
www.ilsvont.com
ilsvont at 12:11PM on 08/06/07
Jeffrey Steingarten devoted a very interesting chapter to salt in his book "It Must've Been Something I Ate" where he taste-tested the various salts from the regular Kosher to some quite expensive salts. And basically his conclusion was that salt is salt and that the Kosher was the way to go. Anyway, if you haven't read the book - read it!
ceforrester at 12:15PM on 08/06/07
RE:ceforrester
I loveeeeeee my Crystal [brand] Kosher salt... I buy the 'other' stuff because I'm a health-nut and I figure it's good for me (lol). But, you're right...we reach for Kosher salt way more often than the fancy, shmancy stuff.
cheffy at 1:53PM on 08/06/07
I read a blog entry on Brownie Points about Salted Ice cream. It was simply vanilla ice cream with some of these gourmet salts added! It made me want to try them soo badly, but the thought of regular table or kosher salt with ice cream makes me cringe. Does that say anything about the difference?
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 3:07PM on 08/06/07
Hillary, salted ice cream? I've heard of using salt to churn ice-cream in a bucket and whatnot but I've never heard of salted ice-cream...! -Kind of neat sounding... I agree...I would go for the gourmet salt if I were to add it as a finishing flavor to a gourmet dessert. :)
cheffy at 9:19PM on 08/06/07
re:Cheffy, Wish I could share some of my salt with you! Even though it is pure, the "RULES" won't let me. Yet, I had to get my grandson tested for lead, after playing with an ELMO from China. Go figure!
canna at 11:40PM on 08/06/07
I adore salt: The wonderfully crunchy Maldon sea salt is my favorite. I even take it on vacation with me (as a flavoring agent, not as a companion),
BaHa at 7:40AM on 08/07/07
Those of you that are interested in salt, and are on FaceBook might like to look at the Jeffrey Stiengarten Appreciation Society where an entrepid band of cooks are about to do a salad seasoning experment. The results of a salt tasting have already been posted, along with the results of an earlier experiment to replicate Steingarten's Salmon sous vide.
Julian
julianmay at 12:17PM on 08/20/07