Salt of the Earth
Image from Whole Foods
As I was considering this weeks P&S post I contemplated all sorts of starting points...and came up at the beginning. Salt. At first I thought that might seem too mundane, too simple, boring. Oh, how wrong I was. I decided that salt, being the Mother of Spices, the first pinch of the pot, usually, was worthy of a post first out of the starting blocks.
Now, if you consider salt to be that white stuff that comes out of a blue box with a girl depicted on the front with an umbrella, you are about to have your world expanded. When it comes to food, if you're gonna use that stuff you might as well be pouring on the salt for the sidewalks.
I bet you did not know that there are chemicals, preservatives, and anti-caking agents in your "table" salt. I bet you did not know that many salts, at one time, used aluminum based agents, and aluminum is a BAD THING, unless you are constructing a tin foil hat to keep away the aliens, in which case it is Supreme. In fact, I use a deodorant comprised of salt, not an anti-perspirant which contain aluminum chlorhydrates ( studies have shown some linkage to neurological disorders and aluminum).
Salt is your friend. You need salt, a crucial electrolyte, to keep you body in balance. Without adequate salt in your diet, many nasty things, like gout, can happen. Too much salt, though, is also a rather bleak trail down illness lane, one with sign posts that read "Hypertension".
And this is where it gets pretty interesting, actually. If you are on a diet that requires you to limit your salt intake, get thee to a store and buy some Sea Salt. Pinch for Pinch it has more "salty" flavor than "table" salt, AND it also supplies beneficial nutrients in the form of sea minerals.
Salt is historically noted way way way way back. In Rome, solders were paid some of their wages in salt. There are mentions of salt sprinkled all through the Bible. Salt was a crucial part of the Iron Age and notation regarding the harvesting and trade of salt is found in ancient Japanese texts. So, yeah, it was likely one of the very first Pinches for the Pot. It is also, and has been historically, a huge commodity in chemical industry, textiles and the making of soaps and detergents.
Salt is harvested in several ways. First, salt mines consist of layers of salt derived from ancient sea beds trapped in rock and earth. The salt is picked, or blasted out and mixed with water then pumped to the surface to collection pools where the water is evaporated. This type of salt generally results in a darker, or grey salt, due to the minerals, specifically iron, that are collected using this manner. Indian food, such as masalas, often call for grey or black salt, which, having a higher sulfuric content, has a characteristic aroma and flavor.
Now, if you consider salt to be that white stuff that comes out of a blue box with a girl depicted on the front with an umbrella, you are about to have your world expanded. When it comes to food, if you're gonna use that stuff you might as well be pouring on the salt for the sidewalks.
I bet you did not know that there are chemicals, preservatives, and anti-caking agents in your "table" salt. I bet you did not know that many salts, at one time, used aluminum based agents, and aluminum is a BAD THING, unless you are constructing a tin foil hat to keep away the aliens, in which case it is Supreme. In fact, I use a deodorant comprised of salt, not an anti-perspirant which contain aluminum chlorhydrates ( studies have shown some linkage to neurological disorders and aluminum).
Salt is your friend. You need salt, a crucial electrolyte, to keep you body in balance. Without adequate salt in your diet, many nasty things, like gout, can happen. Too much salt, though, is also a rather bleak trail down illness lane, one with sign posts that read "Hypertension".
And this is where it gets pretty interesting, actually. If you are on a diet that requires you to limit your salt intake, get thee to a store and buy some Sea Salt. Pinch for Pinch it has more "salty" flavor than "table" salt, AND it also supplies beneficial nutrients in the form of sea minerals.
Salt is historically noted way way way way back. In Rome, solders were paid some of their wages in salt. There are mentions of salt sprinkled all through the Bible. Salt was a crucial part of the Iron Age and notation regarding the harvesting and trade of salt is found in ancient Japanese texts. So, yeah, it was likely one of the very first Pinches for the Pot. It is also, and has been historically, a huge commodity in chemical industry, textiles and the making of soaps and detergents.
Salt is harvested in several ways. First, salt mines consist of layers of salt derived from ancient sea beds trapped in rock and earth. The salt is picked, or blasted out and mixed with water then pumped to the surface to collection pools where the water is evaporated. This type of salt generally results in a darker, or grey salt, due to the minerals, specifically iron, that are collected using this manner. Indian food, such as masalas, often call for grey or black salt, which, having a higher sulfuric content, has a characteristic aroma and flavor.
Pink salt hails from the Himalyas, and gets it's characteristic color from the mineral content, including Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Iron. This salt is harvested from the mountains at over 10,000 feet above sea level and transported on the back of yaks down the mountainside. It is the principal income for the mountain peoples of this area.
Salt is also harvested from the sea or salt lakes, either by pooling the salt water into shallow puddles and allowing the sun to dry off the water, precipitating out the crystals, or, as in the case of flake salt, carefully scraping the dehydrated sea brine crystals from an evaporating pan.
So, much of the flavor comes from WHERE the salt originated, from the minerals and the environment. But, much of the perception of the taste of salt comes from the shape of the crystals. Flake salt tastes much different from rock salt, in part due to it's crystaline structure.
Another flavor enhancer for salt is smoking. There are several methods for doing this, but the most natural leads to the most natural taste. There are many fine smoked salts available, and at the end of this post I will give you some links for information and purchase.
My kitchen sports several small bowls of salts. I have one for French small rock salt, one for Kosher salt, one for Celtic Sea Salt and one for French sea salt. I also have a mortar and pestle for grinding up my grey salt with Herbs de Provence. Each one tastes remarkably different.
Tips!:
If you find that you have added too much salt to a recipe, add a cut potato to the pot and let it simmer for about half an hour. The salt will be notably reduced.
Food that is salted to taste at warm or room temperatures, will taste differently at colder temperatures and after storage. Always re-taste left-overs and adjust accordingly.
Salt and cool water are a great way to cope with food stains and blood stains. simply pour the salt (use the table salt for this one, eh?) and scrub gently.
Salt mixed with olive oil makes a fabulous hand scrub. I keep some near my sink at all times. I add a few drops of lavender oil and peppermint oil to make it smell yummy, and for the antibacterial properties. Simply scoop out a dollop and rub gently over your hands and between your fingers. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Mmmmm! Soft!
Salt is great for brushing your teeth if you forgot your toothpaste.
Here are some links for you to follow to get more from your Salt Experience:
Salt is also harvested from the sea or salt lakes, either by pooling the salt water into shallow puddles and allowing the sun to dry off the water, precipitating out the crystals, or, as in the case of flake salt, carefully scraping the dehydrated sea brine crystals from an evaporating pan.
So, much of the flavor comes from WHERE the salt originated, from the minerals and the environment. But, much of the perception of the taste of salt comes from the shape of the crystals. Flake salt tastes much different from rock salt, in part due to it's crystaline structure.
Another flavor enhancer for salt is smoking. There are several methods for doing this, but the most natural leads to the most natural taste. There are many fine smoked salts available, and at the end of this post I will give you some links for information and purchase.
My kitchen sports several small bowls of salts. I have one for French small rock salt, one for Kosher salt, one for Celtic Sea Salt and one for French sea salt. I also have a mortar and pestle for grinding up my grey salt with Herbs de Provence. Each one tastes remarkably different.
Tips!:
If you find that you have added too much salt to a recipe, add a cut potato to the pot and let it simmer for about half an hour. The salt will be notably reduced.
Food that is salted to taste at warm or room temperatures, will taste differently at colder temperatures and after storage. Always re-taste left-overs and adjust accordingly.
Salt and cool water are a great way to cope with food stains and blood stains. simply pour the salt (use the table salt for this one, eh?) and scrub gently.
Salt mixed with olive oil makes a fabulous hand scrub. I keep some near my sink at all times. I add a few drops of lavender oil and peppermint oil to make it smell yummy, and for the antibacterial properties. Simply scoop out a dollop and rub gently over your hands and between your fingers. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Mmmmm! Soft!
Salt is great for brushing your teeth if you forgot your toothpaste.
Here are some links for you to follow to get more from your Salt Experience:
Salt Traders
Saltworks
The Salt Institute
Whole Foods:Salt
posted by Julia Farley at
4:40 AM
1 Comments:
We are manufacturers and exporters of Himalayan Salt Products from last 12 years. Himalayan salt is the most efficient emitter of negative ions which have many health benefits.
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