10 Salty Facts You Might Not Know Until Now

Did you know that there are more than 14,000 uses for salt?

It’s something we seem to take for granted, perhaps because it’s so essential to life we never notice it anymore. But history is laden with the stuff, and every cell of your body contains salt, so we thought it was about time we dug a little deeper into our salty selves and discover a sprinkle of facts to add at dinner time.

The Main Types

Broadly speaking, there are two types of salt: sea or evaporative salt, which comes from saltwater, and rock salt, which comes from the land.

The majority of rock salt never makes it into the kitchen. It’s for industrial use, such as removing ice from roads in really cold countries (outside Australia!)

Sea salt is produced by evaporating seawater in open pans or by boiling. Sea salt includes the uber-popular Himalayan pink salt and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, delicate fleur de sel.

Are Salt and Sodium the Same?

No. Salt is a compound called Sodium Chloride while Sodium is a chemical element (Na) found in the Earth’s crust.

What does Sodium do?

Sodium is an essential nutrient for human beings because it regulates blood volume, blood pressure and pH levels in our bodies. It is also needed for your muscles and nerves to work properly. Health regulators recommend each of us needs a minimum of 500 milligrams of sodium a day. This is where salt, or Sodium Chloride, enters the picture. Our body cannot produce sodium on its own, so we need to get it from foods and drinks.

What are Some Sources of Sodium?

Sodium occurs naturally in most foods such as celery, beets, milk and even our drinking water (although the amount varies depending on the source). These days, unfortunately, most of our sodium intake comes from processed foods. Next time you’re in the supermarket, check out these guys on your labels:

Monosodium glutamate
Sodium nitrite
Sodium saccharin
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
Sodium benzoate

They can be found in items such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion salt, garlic salt, potato chips and bouillon cubes. Processed meats like ham, sausage and bacon and canned soups and vegetables are all examples of foods that contain a lot of sodium. And of course, a drive-thru at McDonald’s, or any other fast food restaurant, will leave you filled with food that’s extremely high in sodium.

Types of Salt

Kosher salt. Hands-down, the all-purpose favourite of chefs and home cooks for its coarse, uniform, easy-to-pinch granules. It’s industrially produced by boiling off brine that’s pumped in and back out of a salt deposit. Not kosher-certified — the name refers to how the crystals draw out moisture in the meat koshering process.

Table salt. Otherwise known as the stuff in shakers on tables. This is industrial salt refined to about 99 per cent sodium chloride, with additives aplenty so it doesn’t clump. Iodized table salt serves a need among iodine-deficient populations in poorer countries. You can also get your fix by eating iodine-rich seafood and other foods.

Sea salt. Much of what’s generically labeled “sea salt” is industrial, made by evaporating sea water in vast open pans. Harvesting is mechanised and removes most of the salt’s natural minerals. Commercial brands are inexpensive and often contain additives.

Fleur de sel. French for “flower of salt,” this is the creme de la creme of sea salt, scraped by hand as it forms on the surface of a salt evaporation pond. It’s been done this way for centuries in France. Irregular, delicate crystals are moist and mineral-rich. Ideal as a finishing salt.

Sel gris. “Grey salt” in French, it’s raked from the bottom of a salt pond. Coarser than fleur de sel with a satisfying crunch, it is used as a superb all-around cooking salt.

Flake salt. Another chef favourite, this is produced by simmering off seawater or by solar evaporation. It forms in thin, delicate flakes or pyramidal shapes than break up into flakes.

Himalayan pink salt. This falls into that tiny percentage of rock salt that’s actually used in cooking. Often used in block or slab form as a cooking surface, it can be ground down and used for seasoning or finishing.

Pickling salt. While usually marketed as such, the term refers to any additive-free salt. Additives will discolor and add bitterness to whatever you’re preserving.