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Only real difference is grain size changing how intense salt flavor is when eaten in undissolved form. Table salt has extremely salty flavor as tiny crystals d

Only real difference is grain size changing how intense salt flavor is when eaten in undissolved form. Table salt has extremely salty flavor as tiny crystals dissolve instantly. Sea Salts dissolve slower. Also flakiness makes it easier to control when salting things by hand. Color of salt is meaningless.

csours 9y ago
> Color of salt is meaningless. Unless you are talking about salts with sulphur in them. Those really do taste different. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kala_namak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kala_namak
- floren 9y ago
  Tastes like old eggs, mostly. Can't stand kala namak.
TallGuyShort 9y ago
CostCo sells a "pink Himalayan salt". The label touts that it is known as the "purest salt in the world" and is known for it's rich mineral content (aka impurities) that give it its distinctive color. I enjoy seeing who brings this up when I have guests: it's always the engineers.
- bobthechef 9y ago
  I'm not sure what significance engineers have here (who cares what an engineer things about salt?), but even given the hyperbole of marketing which is nothing new (again, surprised this is such a big deal when almost everything is marketed using insinuations, including Morton's), perhaps a reasonable interpretation of "pure" is "devoid of pollutants" (and "salt" understood in culinary terms, not as chemically pure NaCl, but as the naturally-occurring rock salt, with all of the mineral content). Whether the marketing jiggery pokery is true or not, it's a fallacy to attack the salt because of the label.
  - TallGuyShort 9y ago
    The significance of the engineers is they seem to be the group that reliably and exclusively notices. I'm not attacking the salt, I keep buying it. Not a big deal - it's a funny anecdote that apparently deeply bothers some people.
- eip 9y ago
  Himalayan salts are high in bromine and probably shouldn't be eaten.
- gowld 9y ago
  Is it surprising that people with scientific education tend to notice scientific errors?
- s0rce 9y ago
  Some of these colored salts contain heavy metals https://www.spexcertiprep.com/knowledge-base/files/AppNote_GourmetSalts.pdf https://www.spexcertiprep.com/knowledge-base/files/AppNote_G...
creep 9y ago
There is a huge difference to me in taste between the iron oxide salts, the "lava" (charcoal) salts and regular sea salt. I've always had a really sensitive pallet though. However, to my understanding, you wouldn't add these salts to change the flavor of food in which you add salt as an ingredient. Instead you sprinkle the crystals over meat, desserts, and other small portioned foods to get the color and a specific flavor on surface bites.
- bobthechef 9y ago
  Table salt a la Morton's is unpalatable to me.
  - creep 9y ago
    Oh, yeah, that stuff is abhorrent.

csours 9y ago

> Color of salt is meaningless. Unless you are talking about salts with sulphur in them. Those really do taste different. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kala_namak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kala_namak

floren 9y ago
Tastes like old eggs, mostly. Can't stand kala namak.

TallGuyShort 9y ago

CostCo sells a "pink Himalayan salt". The label touts that it is known as the "purest salt in the world" and is known for it's rich mineral content (aka impurities) that give it its distinctive color. I enjoy seeing who brings this up when I have guests: it's always the engineers.

bobthechef 9y ago
I'm not sure what significance engineers have here (who cares what an engineer things about salt?), but even given the hyperbole of marketing which is nothing new (again, surprised this is such a big deal when almost everything is marketed using insinuations, including Morton's), perhaps a reasonable interpretation of "pure" is "devoid of pollutants" (and "salt" understood in culinary terms, not as chemically pure NaCl, but as the naturally-occurring rock salt, with all of the mineral content). Whether the marketing jiggery pokery is true or not, it's a fallacy to attack the salt because of the label.
- TallGuyShort 9y ago
  The significance of the engineers is they seem to be the group that reliably and exclusively notices. I'm not attacking the salt, I keep buying it. Not a big deal - it's a funny anecdote that apparently deeply bothers some people.
eip 9y ago
Himalayan salts are high in bromine and probably shouldn't be eaten.
gowld 9y ago
Is it surprising that people with scientific education tend to notice scientific errors?
s0rce 9y ago
Some of these colored salts contain heavy metals https://www.spexcertiprep.com/knowledge-base/files/AppNote_GourmetSalts.pdf https://www.spexcertiprep.com/knowledge-base/files/AppNote_G...

creep 9y ago

There is a huge difference to me in taste between the iron oxide salts, the "lava" (charcoal) salts and regular sea salt. I've always had a really sensitive pallet though. However, to my understanding, you wouldn't add these salts to change the flavor of food in which you add salt as an ingredient. Instead you sprinkle the crystals over meat, desserts, and other small portioned foods to get the color and a specific flavor on surface bites.

bobthechef 9y ago
Table salt a la Morton's is unpalatable to me.
- creep 9y ago
  Oh, yeah, that stuff is abhorrent.