Inspired by another topic. For me it has to be the Cyprus flake Sea salt . Large flakes for finishing. Finishing, cooking with , baking , on the table . Whats yours ?
I use different salts for different things. For general cooking and baking, where the salt will have a chance to fully dissolve before it is eaten, I typically use plain old table salt. I read the other thread and although I have nothing against kosher salt, I tend to agree that it has a harsher flavor and since the flakes are larger, they donāt dissolve as easily. I do use kosher for BBQ rubs, though, and for a handful of other things where a larger volume of salt is required.
For finishing, again, it depends on the food. For deep fried foods and popcorn, where you really want the salt to stick, I use Diamond brand table salt, which comes in this round container and says āthe finer saltā on the label:
Nothing sticks to fried food better! I actually get annoyed when I watch a cooking show and the host fries something and then preaches the importance of salting it while itās still hot, but grabs a handful of coarse or kosher salt to do so. You can SEE the grains bouncing right off the food onto the plate. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Anyway, for finishing where I want a bit of texture or to see the crystals, Maldon is my go-to. I actually donāt use finishing salts all that much, though. I season as I cook and aim to get my food seasoned to my liking during the cooking process.
2 Likes
For cooking I love grey salt. It imparts flavor but does not taste āsalty.ā
1 Like
Although I live in a county famous for its salt mines, my favourite is Halen Mon seasalt.
1 Like
Maldon salt
1 Like
You have to be careful with Diamond Crystal Salt. it has a superfine grain and is easy to oversalt when using it. I keep a box of it on my counter because it dissolves easily when salting water for pasta, vegetables etc. Kosher salt is good for pinching and sprinkling on food because itās larger sized grains are easier to control. I also keep a container of mixed kosher salt and ground black pepper that I make myself for sprinkling on food. Saves time.
2 Likes
I agree about your comment about Diamond Crystal salt.
Yes, I only use it for fried things and popcorn, because otherwise it is very easy to oversalt. It really is a must though, when you want the salt to cling!
1 Like
I like smoked salt on popcorn and boiled eggs. Large flake kosher salt for most other things.
2 Likes
Iām definitely a diamond crystal fan like some people mentioned. I am also a big kosher salt fan and prefer that on most protein. Anything that kosher salt will stick to, that is usally my āgo to.ā
I have been getting into finishing salts. I picked up this sampler and Iām trying to figure out what pairs well with food I like. It has been pretty interesting ā¦
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002NO2ITC?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2
Oh and within the last 6 months Iāve been using āSpice Island Old Hickory Smoked Saltā
I like that on burgers and stuffed cabbage
Cool thread! Salt rules 
1 Like
Kosher salt is my go to, but i have a wide assortment of finishing salts. Maldon and the smoked maldon are repeat purchases for me, as is the celery salt from Penzeyās if that counts.
Iāve had the same tiny container of black salt forever, but i only use it for tofu scramble (makes all the difference!)
1 Like
I forgot about that. I am using smoked salt more lately. DH loves it in eggs.
1 Like
Whenever I run out of Diamon Crystal Kosher Salt and have to use regular non-iodized Morton table salt, my family can definitely tell the difference. Itās odd that some people find kosher salt harsher, my experience has been the opposite.
Sel gris and Celtic sea salt are my favorites, with Maldon a close runner-up.
Also, smoked salt is like cheating, it makes everything taste good. I sometimes use a tiny pinch in cookies or brownies.
2 Likes
So far I only use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. I buy it by the box. I started buying kosher salt when I got into making sausages and cured meats as that was recommended in Ruhlmanās Charcuterie book. First one I bought was a box of Diamond. I have nothing to compare it to. Never noticed any off tastes. I will keep buying boxes as I run out, though from the other thread Iāve decided to try some unrefined sea salt.
1 Like
We use sea salt mostly, both fine and coarse grain depending on what weāre doing. Kosher salt we use pretty specifically for rubs and dry brines of roasted meats and it has never let us down. Donāt taste any odd flavors there. We have some hickory smoked salt and yes, the notorious Punjabi āHimalayanā pink salt and some Hawaiian red salt, all of which we got as gifts and donāt use very often. The smoked salt has way too much smoke flavor for my taste - if you use enough to salt the food it tastes as though you doused it in Liquid Smoke.
1 Like
Diamond Crystal Kosher. We keep a rami full on the table with a little spoon, and it is my all-purpose cooking salt and fermentation salt.
Of secondary importance: Maldon for a crunchy finish salt. Various āartisanalā sea salts for the occasional fish finishing salt. Flavored salts areā¦ not salt in my estimation.
I use black salt too (the Indian stuff, not the Hawaiāian stuff), but it is a specific flavor - not a salt.
1 Like
Now that I think about it. What about Potassium Chloride (KCl) or a 50:50 NaCl KCl combination? I believe I have seen these at supermarkets.
āUsing potassium salt offers a simple alternative to table salt as it allows the continued use of salt in cooking and as a seasoning, but encourages a healthier lifestyle at the same timeā
https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/are-peloton-bikes-worth-the-hefty-price-tag.html
"Potassium chloride is a leading reformulation technology for reducing sodium in food products. As, globally, sodium intake exceeds guidelines, this technology is beneficial; however, its potential impact on potassium intake is unknown. Therefore, a modeling study was conducted using Dutch National Food Survey data to examine the dietary impact of reformulation (n = 2106). Product-specific sodium criteria, to enable a maximum daily sodium chloride intake of 5 grams/day, were applied to all foods consumed in the survey. The impact of replacing 20%, 50% and 100% of sodium chloride from each product with potassium chloride was modeled. At baseline median, potassium intake was 3334 mg/day. An increase in the median intake of potassium of 453 mg/day was seen when a 20% replacement was applied, 674 mg/day with a 50% replacement scenario and 733 mg/day with a 100% replacement scenario. Reformulation had the largest impact on: bread, processed fruit and vegetables, snacks and processed meat. Replacement of sodium chloride by potassium chloride, particularly in key contributing product groups, would result in better compliance to potassium intake guidelines (3510 mg/day). Moreover, it could be considered safe for the general adult population, as intake remains compliant with EFSA guidelines. Based on current modeling potassium chloride presents as a valuable, safe replacer for sodium chloride in food products
This is just a guess, but is it possible that your family can tell the difference between Diamond Crystal Kosher and Morton Table because the grain size is different, and because the pinches you use put a different amount of salt on your dishes, depending on which one you use?
And if smoked salt is so good, it certainly isnāt cheating! Iām going to look for some.
1 Like
Definitely try some various smoked salts and let us know how you make out.
As for kosher vs regular table salt, I can definitely taste the difference. I use diamond kosher like others here and also the superfine for a few things.
1 Like
