Imagine preparing your preferred soup dish. Your senses are awakened by the pot’s seething warmth as it enters your nostrils. You taste a small amount. You give a slight wince as the lovely flavour reaches your taste buds. There is a problem. You sprinkle in some more salt. A brief stir, yet another tasting. Perfect!

If this sounds familiar, it’s because salt is a basic component that both home cooks and chefs need to have on hand. Any meal will be improved with a dash or tablespoon of salt.

Table Salt

Table salt is also referred to as “iodized salt,” made up of very small grains, potassium iodide, and an anti-caking ingredient. It is taken from the sea and the soil, respectively. Table salt shouldn’t be used in savoury recipes, since the anti-caking component might impart a metallic flavour when used in large quantities. However, it can be used in baking because these recipes sometimes only ask for a modest amount of salt.

Kosher Salt

One salt kind with large, gritty crystals is kosher salt, which may help people avoid over-salting. It does, however, swiftly dissolve in the water. Unlike table salt, which is heavily iodized, kosher salt is harvested from either the land or the sea. It is relatively economical and suitable for all applications. One thing to remember is that the saltiness of various kosher salt brands will vary.

Himalayan Pink Salt

This salt is obtained from the Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan. It is the purest salt and is immediately identified by its pink colour. It contains all 84 naturally occurring minerals that may be found in the human body. The Himalayan pink salt is used to season food due to its high cost and robust flavour. It is used for cooking, spa treatments, decorative lamps, etc.

Sea Salt

Sea salt is derived from evaporated seawater, thus depending on where it is obtained, it might have a strong or mildly salty flavour. It contains thick, delicate flakes that are the result of boiling salt water until the salt crystallizes. It has a complex flavour because it also includes a lot of minerals. It can be used in both savoury and sweet recipes like roasted vegetables, sweets containing chocolates etc.

Fleur De Sel

French meaning “flower of salt,” Fleur de sel is derived from evaporated seawater, just as Celtic sea salt, but it is only found around the Brittany coast. Many people say that this salt tastes and smells like the sea. The fact that the salt is damp makes it quite sticky, yet the moisture also makes the saltiness last longer on the tongue. It is great for cooking and also works well in desserts.