Just a crash course on salt

Some people often don't start a recipe if it mentions a pinch of Himalayan salt. What the heck is Himalayan salt? Or maybe you also see fleur de sel sometimes. Or salt with and salt without iodine. Well, it's all quite confusing. Let me update you on different types of salt. Here we go.

What is salt actually?

Salt is a flavor enhancer, but it is also used for preserving food (also known as curing). This was done a lot in the past, but luckily we now have the refrigerator and the freezer. Salt consists of tiny crystals and most types are mined from a salt mine or obtained by evaporating seawater.

Is salt unhealthy?

No, we actually need salt, but of course, a certain amount. Not too much. And... there is also a difference between types of salt. I'm going to tell you about that.

Table salt

This is ‘refined’ salt. The refining is a heating process where chemicals are added to prevent the salt from clumping. Medium good for you, then. And honestly, who still uses table salt? Exactly.

Zeezout

Sea salt is evaporated from seawater. The darkest sea salt is also the healthiest variant. This salt also has a much better taste than table salt. I often use sea salt over the vegetables that then go into the oven.

Fleur de sel

The most expensive sea salt in the world is fleur de sel. This salt comes from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. With special techniques, the flowery and fragrant salt is harvested. The boxes it comes in already look stunning, so you can just put them on the table for a finishing touch to a dish.

Himalayan salt

This salt is mined from a huge salt mine in Pakistan (yes, really) and is often over 250 million years old. Himalayan crystal salt has 84 natural minerals which makes it much better than table salt. There is quite a bit of junk in table salt. Himalayan salt contains significantly less sodium than other types of salt. The taste is very strong. Just try a grain, it's seriously delicious. This salt used to be very exclusive, but this week I bought a grinder with this salt just at the supermarket. A bit more expensive, but then you also get something.