INDIA TREE
. . . quality ingredients for creative cooks
5309 Shilshole Avenue NW • Seattle WA 98107 • 800 369 4848 • [email protected] • © 2011 Gretchen Goehrend & Associates, Inc.
THE WORLD OF SALT
Wars have been fought over salt
and great cities have been built on
its trade. The Romans conquered
the Holy Land to acquire salt and
changed the history of the western
world.
Salt is mentioned in the holy books
of the world’s great religions and
in the folklore and sayings of many
cultures.
• What is salt?
When sodium reacts with
chloride, it becomes sodium
chloride, or NaCl, forming a
perfect cube-shaped crystal of
the substance we call “salt.”
Salt is the world’s oldest condiment. Its existence predates
man by billions of years. It is unlike anything else that we
eat.
• What is the dietary value of salt?
Chloride is essential for both digestion and respiration; sodium enables the body to
transport nutrients, transmit nerve impulses, and move muscles, including the heart.
Without it we would die.
• How much salt does a person need?
An adult human body contains approximately 250 grams of salt, or 10 ounces, but the
body is constantly losing salt through normal functions. It must constantly be
replaced. An individual’s salt needs will vary based upon whether he or she is an eater
of meat, lives in a hot climate, or is involved in physical labor.
• Where can salt be found?
People and animals travel miles to reach it. It can be found in the desert, along the
shores of great lakes, and in deep underground mines.
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Page 1 INDIA TREE
. . . quality ingredients for creative cooks
5309 Shilshole Avenue NW • Seattle WA 98107 • 800 369 4848 • [email protected] • © 2011 Gretchen Goehrend & Associates, Inc.
THE WORLD OF SALT – continued
Whether found on land or in the water, salt is a gift of the sea. The presence of
salt, whether high in the Himalayas or on the floor of a great desert, on the shore
of a lake in deepest Africa or in vast underground deposits, is evidence that that
part of the earth was once covered by a great ocean.
• What is salt’s culinary contribution?
Although we eat salt for its “saltiness” alone, salt also enhances the aroma and flavor
of the foods that it seasons.
• What accounts for differences in salts?
Differences in salts occur based upon where
they come from, how they are mined or
harvested, and how they are processed.
In color, salts can range from pristine white
to black; they can be clean and pure, mixed
with clay, flavored with herbs and other
seasonings, or smoked.
• Kinds of salt (only a few can be mentioned here):
1. Everyday Cooking Salts
• Common table salt comes in small, regular cubic crystals. It is the densest
salt and takes the longest to dissolve. It is a combination of approximately
99.8% sodium chloride and up to 2% anti-caking agents. These additives contribute to the chemical aftertaste of this salt.
Common table salt became popular in the latter part of the 19th century
through the marketing ingenuity of the owner of Morton Salt Company, the first
company to package salt for retail sale. It was made possible through the discovery of huge salt deposits spread over most of the Midwest, in combination
with improved technology.
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Page 2 INDIA TREE
. . . quality ingredients for creative cooks
5309 Shilshole Avenue NW • Seattle WA 98107 • 800 369 4848 • [email protected] • © 2011 Gretchen Goehrend & Associates, Inc.
THE WORLD OF SALT – continued
Table salt is made by pumping water into the salt mine, and pumping it out
again as brine. The salt in the brine is then re-crystallized into very small
crystals designed to be used in a salt shaker. This is the most common salt for
baking.
Morton was the first to add iodine to its salt as a means of preventing goiters in
people deprived of natural sources for this element.
• Kosher salt is a bit of a misnomer and all “kosher” salts are not the same.
Kosher salt is not necessarily blessed by a rabbi, nor is it more pure than most
other salts. It is, however, free of iodine and because of its large crystals it is
suitable for the preparation of meats according to Jewish custom. Many cooks
like to use kosher salt for general cooking because it is easy to dispense by
hand. It is also often used for salt crust baking.
• Brazilian sea salt with coarse crystals is produced by having the sea water
pumped into ponds which are tended for a five-year period, in which time the
water evaporates by solar means leaving behind a progressively concentrated
brine. The freshly harvested salt is washed to remove impurities and is sent to
Belgium for grading.
This particular salt is collected within an ecosystem that provides natural filtration and purification. The shore is lined with mangrove trees that encourage
sea life helpful in the production and purification of sea salt.
INDIA TREE has been packaging this salt for years in 9-ounce jars and two
pound cello bags. It is one of our most popular products, because, like kosher
salt, it can be used as an all around cooking salt, is great for grinding in salt
mills, and is often used for salt crust baking.
2. French Sea Salts from Guerande
• Fleur de Sel
The name of this salt means “flower of the salt” for it blossoms on the surface of
the salt beds and is a special product of Brittany, in west central France. Fleur de
Sel accumulates on the surface of the salt ponds when the weather is just right.
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Page 3 INDIA TREE
. . . quality ingredients for creative cooks
5309 Shilshole Avenue NW • Seattle WA 98107 • 800 369 4848 • [email protected] • © 2011 Gretchen Goehrend & Associates, Inc.
THE WORLD OF SALT – continued
It consists of small, snowflake-like crystals that are gently raked off the surface
before they grow heavy and sink into the brine. Fleur de Sel is considered the
crème de la crème of salts. It is used primarily as a finishing salt, which means
that it should be sprinkled over the dish just before serving.
• Sel Gris is unrefined French salt found in the same ponds as the Fleur de Sel,
only at a deeper level. It contains traces of other minerals and algae mixed
with clay. Sel Gris is considered to have a more complex taste due to these
impurities, but their contribution to a dish is minimal, unless this salt is used
mainly as a finishing or topping salt.
The salts we carry from Guerande are harvested according to the strict rules of
Europe’s Nature et Progrès certification program.
3. Ethnic Salts
• Red Hawaiian Sea Salt is actually
Pacific sea salt mixed with clay rich in iron
oxide. Originally a ceremonial salt, it is
now used in rubs for roasting kalua pig and
for seasoning Hawaiian jerky. Use for
grilling and roasting meats, in tomato
dishes, and in salads.
• Indian “Black Salt” is a mixture of
unidentified minerals with a strong
sulfurous smell similar to rotten eggs. The
color is not actually black, but a range of light to darker gray-pink. The
objectionable odors disappear when it adds its own unique flavor to the dish.
4. Smoked Salts
• Alder Smoked Sea Salt is reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest Indian
potlatch tradition. Coarse Pacific sea salt is cold-smoked for 24 hours using red
alder wood until it absorbs the wood’s full, rich aroma and flavor. A favorite of
fish lovers, it is great with baked salmon or halibut, and can be used to flavor
other dishes as well.
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Page 4 INDIA TREE
. . . quality ingredients for creative cooks
5309 Shilshole Avenue NW • Seattle WA 98107 • 800 369 4848 • [email protected] • © 2011 Gretchen Goehrend & Associates, Inc.
THE WORLD OF SALT – continued
• Chardonnay Smoked Fleur de Sel. Moist crystals of French fleur de sel are
cold-smoked using oak barrels once used to age fine chardonnay. Chardonnay
smoked fleur de sel lends a whisper of smoke, a hint of chardonnay, and a soft
saltiness to the dishes it seasons. Use it as a finishing salt for halibut, green
vegetables, shellfish, chicken and pork dishes.
5. Flake Salt
Salt flakes come in flat, extended
particles. They may be naturally
formed on the surface of salt ponds
or mechanically made by machine
rolling granulated crystals.
• Murray River Flakes. These
beautiful apricot-colored flakes are
naturally formed. They are the
product of an important
desalinization project taking place in
Australia’s Murray River Basin.
Sprinkled onto food at the last
minute, Murray River Salt provides a
crunchy texture and a burst of flavor.
Use it to season a salad, or corn on
the cob. Combine with bread, oil and
cheese for a wonderful meal starter.
• Reading
McGee. Harold. On Food & Cooking. Revised edition, Scribner, 2004
Jordan, Michele Anna. Salt and Pepper. Broadway Books, 1999
Kurlansky, Mark. Salt, a World History. Walker & Company, 2002
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