Our planet consists mostly of salty sea water. Our bodies are also largely made up of water. If you’ve ever tasted your tears or a drop of blood, you know that we are salty too. Sea salts come from Mother Ocean. They preserve and flavor our food like no other seasoning or spice on our planet. Incorporating sea salts into your diet will bring goodness to your food and your body.
Sea salts brighten and heighten the flavor in any food. They differ in flavor, texture and nutrient content from regular table salt. Sea salts have a more intense flavor than table salt, so they taste, well, saltier. They also are chock full of essential minerals our bodies need. Those minerals impart extra flavor to the salts.
Besides making food delicious salt is an essential nutrient for human beings. Our bodies need salt to balance our electrolytes and keep us functioning at optimal levels. Unfortunately too many people today get their salt from processed food which uses the very poorest quality of salt which has heavily processed with chemicals. Cooking meals from whole foods allows one to use delicious sea salts without worrying about sodium levels.
Sea salts can also be mined in areas of the earth where there used to be seawater. The best companies hand-harvest the salts only once or twice a year and keep them pure.
Ordinary table salt also comes from salt mines. This salt is heat-blasted and chemically treated, leaving the crystals devoid of their natural minerals and missing much of their flavor.
Cooking with Sea Salt
Sea salts can replace table salt in your kitchen and on your table. Add a little less salt than usual and taste your food, because sea salt has a stronger flavor than table salt. Use even less if you plan on adding lemon or lime to a dish, because those citrus notes activate the same part of your pallet as salt.
Gray salt and finely textured white sea salts can be used in cooking and baking because they dissolve easily. Hawaiian, Himalayan, and Fleur de Sel should really be used as finishing salts, either added at the table or sprinkled on a dish just before serving. That way you can fully appreciate their beautiful flavors and not waste this more expensive ingredient.
Where to Buy Sea Salt
Check out your local grocery store because more and more of them are stocking nice varieties of sea salts. You can also go to any specialty food store and find even more varieties. Have fun experimenting.
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