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 Salt is the world’s oldest condiment. Its existence predates perfect cube-shaped crystal of man by billions of years. It is unlike anything else that we eat. the substance we call “salt.” • 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. (continued) 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 con- tribute 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 dis- covery of huge salt deposits spread over most of the Midwest, in combination with improved technology. (continued) 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 filtra- tion 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. (continued) 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. (continued) 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 Page 5 .