In antiquity, salt was a precious commodity. Marco Polo reported that in Tibet cakes of salt were pressed with images of their ruler and used as currency. Salt bars were used as currency of exchange for more than 1000 years in Ethiopia, and travellers report that some are still circulating among the nomads of the Danakil plains.

Over the past two decades, a wide and still expanding range of flavouring agents distinguished by their intensity, taste, provenance and creating changed the traditional role of salt in cooking. It has become and important flavouring ingredient along with its original purpose of enhancing taste.

The gastronomically inclined can now choose pink salt from the Himalayas, French fleur de sel from Camargue and Gerand, Maldon from England, Halen Mon from Ireland, black salt from Hawaii, Redmond Real Salt from Utah, Peruvian salt from Maras, sea salt from Slovenia, and flor de sal from Spain (Balearic islands), just to name some from a wide range.

Salt is a dietary mineral, composed mainly of sodium chloride and it is essential to all animal life. It regulates fluid balance and is absolutely essential for movement, nerve impulses, digestion, and healing of wounds. By contrast, salt is lethal for plants.

Salt was much more valuable in the past than it is now. Before refrigeration, drying, salting, and smoking were the three most common and least expensive methods of preservation. Harvesting of salt from the surface of the Xiechi Lake in Shanxi, China, dates back to 6000 B C. and a rivalling one was discovered in Lunca, Romania.
As early as 2800 B.C., Egyptians sold salt to Phoenicians for cedar lumber in Lebanon.

Phoenicians, a trading nation in antiquity, used salt to preserve fish for sale in the Mediterranean basin.

Salt is easily extracted from the sea in countries with a lot of sunshine, but it can also be mined from rock salt deposits that were formed by evaporation of ancient salt lakes as is the case in Utah, U.S.A., Canada, Austria, Germany, and Poland.
In fact, today, the majority of salt used is mined.

Regular table salt contains mainly sodium chloride, and additives like iodine to prevent goitre, cretinism, and myxedema. Calcium silicate, dextrose, and other minerals may also be added to obtain desirable characteristics such as brilliance, and free flowing.

Regular table salt is also processed by bleaching and refining to obtain a stark white colour. Actually, natural salt has a “pinkish” or greyish colour.

Salt must be used judiciously in cooking. Some doctors recommend 1.5 grams (1/3 teaspoon) per day; generally accepted standard is four grams (1/7th of an ounce) in temperate climate countries. In hot countries, this dosage must be increased to compensate for loss of salt in perspiration.

Cooking school instructors determined that gradual and frequent salting during cooking flavours food better and also reduces usage, something home cooks should think about.

North Americans consume too much salt, not so much because of excessive use in cooking, but because of their predilections using processed food. Manufacturers use significant amounts of salt in pizzas, canned soups, breads, and all kinds of prepared foods.

I have had the opportunity to taste sea salt from Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, France, England, Austria, Spain, and mined American and Canadian salt.
The French, and now Redmond RealSalt from Utah make and market flavoured salt with basil, onion, garlic, and oregano.

Fleur de sel de Noirmoutier from France tastes very appealing, as do Flow de Sal d’Es Trenc Jambio from the Canary Islands, San Vicente Salt Works, Isla Cristina Salt Works, just to name a few.

Fleur de sel or flor de sal contains crystals that form on the surface of water pools as a result of three physical influences; sunlight, the relative humidity, and wind. Hot days, low humidity and a light breeze encourage evaporation without ruffling the surface of the water.

Fleur de sel contains less sodium chloride, and a higher proportion of magnesium, potassium, and calcium, as does Redmond Real Salt from Utah that is mined from an ancient lake.

My findings of tasting favour Redmond RealSalt from Utah and Noirmoutier from France.

Spanish producers now flavour their sea salts with Mediterranean herbs, citrus, saffron (the world’s most expensive flavouring agent), black olives, wild mushrooms, chilli, pimiento, and even curry.

Redmond RealSalt from Utah is readily available in Canada and is less expensive than French, English, and Spanish products.

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?

Did you Enjoy This Post? Share it with others!

Tags: Essential, ingredient, Salt

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 12:19 and is filed under Food & Wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.