Salt is an essential component of practically every dish we cook including soups, curries, steaks, salads, and many more. However, most people are unaware of the variety of salts and only use two or three types of salts.
One of the primary reasons chefs use salt is to bring out the inherent flavor of meals. Salt can also be used as a preservative and finishing salt. To enhance your cooking experience and make your dishes more flavorful, salt comes in a range of hues and textures. Different dishes demand different grain sizes and textures of the salt.
Various kinds of salt are utilized in different places of the world because of their easy availability. Therefore, we are going to share with you a list of salts that are different from each other based on their origin and specific properties.
After reading this article, you will be amazed to know the variety of salts available in the market. So, let’s get started.
This is the most familiar and commonly used salt. You will find it in every household around the world because of its easy availability. Table salt is also called halite or rock salt. It is obtained from two sources: rock salt mines and evaporated seawater. It is 99% pure sodium chloride and has a chemical formula of NaCl.
When obtained from mines, it mostly comes with other minerals that are considered toxic. And when obtained from seawater, it comes with pollutants. That is why it undergoes refining, processing, and bleaching to remove all the toxins and pollutants which leave behind white color salt grains. Sometimes anticaking agents and additives like iodine are also mixed with it.
Pink Himalayan Salt
Harvested from the mines located a few kilometers away from the foothills of Himalayan mountain ranges, in the Punjab region of Pakistan. This salt is known for its alluring pink color and compact crystalline texture. Himalayan pink salt is said to be the purest form of salt found on Earth because of its pollutant-free unaltered nature. It remained covered under the Rocky Mountains and lava for centuries which protected it from pollutants and environmental factors.
It has less sodium than regular table salt. It has 98% of sodium and chloride compounds and 2% other vital minerals and trace elements. These minerals enhance pink salt’s nutritional value and therapeutic properties. The trace minerals, especially iron, are responsible for its pink tinge, which can vary from light pink color to dark vibrant pink with an orange touch.
It is unrefined and chemical-free and is considered one of the best salts for consumption. Even animals can benefit from this mineral salt in the form of salt licks to satisfy their salt cravings.
This rock salt is available in the form of various culinary, beauty, and décor products that include edible salt, salt lamps, tea light holders, cooking blocks, animal licks, salt bricks, and many more.
Black Himalayan salt
Just like Himalayan pink salt, black Himalayan salt is also obtained from the rock salt mines. This salt is known for centuries for its medicinal properties. It has a brown-black color with dark pink hues. It has a very strong flavor and pungent smell that makes it different from other salts. It is a very popular condiment in Indian cuisine and is mostly used in chutneys, chaat masala, purees, and salads.
Black Himalayan salt has high antioxidants and very low sodium content. It also contains vital minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium, and many more that are essential for health. It has an alkaline nature that helps to reduce acidity in your stomach. It is used as a home remedy to treat indigestion, heartburn, bloating, and constipation. This salt stimulates bile production and also regulates bowel movement.
Dead Sea Salt
The name of this salt comes from its source – the Dead Sea. Evaporation of Dead seawater gives Dead Sea Salt crystals. It contains 21 minerals like zinc, sulfur, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iodine, and sodium. All these minerals help cleanse and detoxify the skin. Dead Sea Salt is not edible because it contains many minerals such as magnesium and sulfur that make it bitter.
Dead Sea Salt’s benefits include improving skin texture, making it rejuvenated and moisturized. It is commonly used as a bath salt to detoxify skin and treat many skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. It has magnesium in large amounts which hydrate the skin by improving the skin’s lipid barrier.
Due to these benefits, many skincare brands use Dead Sea Salt in bath salts, scrubs, and soaps. Dead Sea salt’s spiritual benefits include relaxing the body and calming the nerves.
Grey Celtic Sea Salt
Celtic salt is also known as Grey sea salt and Sel Gris. It is a less refined and moist salt that is found along the French coast. The crystals of Celtic salt have clay mixed in it that makes them moist and light grey in color with some purple tint.
Celtic sea salt has more concentration of water that gives exquisite saline flavor. The crystals of Celtic salt are large and moist with a little crunch. Celtic sea salt is widely used in bathing products. Bathing in Grey Celtic sea salt provides minerals to the body and promotes healthy skin.
Black Lava Salt
This salt is collected from the Pacific Ocean of Hawaii and Cyprus utilizing ancient, traditional methods of solar evaporation. The dark color of real Hawaiian black lava salt is due to the presence of activated charcoal that comes from the Hawaiian lava.
Historically, black lava salt from Cyprus was obtained from volcanic sites located on the distant and pristine island of Molokai. For cooking, using Hawaiian Black Lava Sea Salt is not recommended. The activated charcoal present in it will also dissolve with the salt leaving black color in your food. It can be used as a finishing salt right before serving the cooked food.
Magnesium Sulphate is another name for Epsom salt. It is a magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen-based chemical compound. The Epsom salt chemical formula is MgSO4. It has been named Epsom salt because of its discovery in the town of Epsom in the English county of Surrey.
It is not a salt but a compound of Magnesium Sulphate and has a very bitter taste. It is a very popular non-food salt because of its various benefits for the skin. You will find it in many bath salts, muscle relaxants, and pain relievers.
Taking a hot bath infused with crystals of Epsom salt detoxifies and moisturizes the skin deeply. It also calms the mind and body and gives a spa-like feel. It is also used for foot detoxification to remove all the toxins.