Flaky? Coarse? Sea? Here’s Everything To Know About Different Types Of Salt
The definitive guide to cooking with salt.
Kosher? Iodized? Table? Pink? Black? Red?
There’s a lot more to salt than just what’s in your tiny shaker. And the type of salt you use can affect the taste and texture of what you’re eating. Salt types vary by texture, size, and salinity levels. Some are better for general uses like salting your pasta water, while others work best for finishing off that salad or grilled fish. Here’s what to think about when salting.
Texture & Size: The texture refers to the shape of the individual granules of salt. They can be cubic, stair-like, pyramid-shaped, or as irregular as snowflakes. If salt has a chunky, large, and irregular shape, you probably should be using it as a finishing salt. Keep the price in mind too. When it’s more expensive, it’s best to assume that it’s meant to be used as a finishing salt. Stay away from rough, coarse salt when finishing dishes—no one likes a big chunk of salt when taking a bite of steak.
Salinity: We will get into this when we dive into the types, but it's important to be aware of how salty your salt can be. For example, table salt is saltier than kosher salt. But some brands of kosher salt differ drastically in saltiness. Be aware of this, especially when following a recipe. Don’t be afraid to taste a little salt on its own. You’ll truly get a flavor for how different the types can taste.
Uses: In the salt types below, it is noted what each salt is best used for. If a salt is best for general cooking needs, that means salting boiling water, seasoning raw meat or vegetables before cooking or dissolving into a sauce or dressing. Basically anywhere where the texture of the salt doesn’t matter or won’t add anything. If a salt is best for finishing, that means use it when a dish is done. Think sprinkling salt over a sliced meat or on top of a creamy pasta. You want to be able to enjoy the salt’s taste and texture, allowing it to add variation to a dish.
Here’s a breakdown of the different types of salt and what they are best used for.
Table salt (AKA iodized salt)
Shape: cubic
This is the salt you know. It’s in every little salt shaker in every restaurant and in the kitchen cabinets of most moms and dads. You know the round container with the metal slot that pulls out? That’s your table salt. It’s also called iodized salt because it contains potassium iodide. The taste is more metallic due to anti-caking agent and potassium iodide. It's best used for general cooking needs.
If you want to try, we recommend Morton's Iodized Salt.
Kosher salt
Shape: pyramids
This is the culinary industry standard. When reading a recipe from a test kitchen with salt listed as an ingredient, it is most likely Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. This is the one-size-fits-all salt. It has a perfect middle-of-the-road texture that is easily dissolvable. The salinity can vary by brand (Morton’s Kosher Salt is 1.5 times saltier than Diamond Kosher), so always taste. It's best used for general cooking needs.
If you want to try, we recommend Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.
Sea salt
Shape: irregular
This is salt made from the ocean's salinity. On a very basic level, sea water is boiled down until all that’s left is the salt. This can come in a number of different textures and salinities. It is just like wine in that the flavor can come from the environment or region it is harvested in. We will get into two specific types below (sel gris and fleur de sel). This is best used for finishing or general cooking needs depending on texture.
If you want to try, we recommend SaltWorks Premium Sea Salt.
Flaky salt
Shape: irregular
Alright, let’s get fancy. Flaky salt can be sea salt or kosher salt. The name is determined by the texture. If the individual pieces of salt are big, not uniform in size, and have a flat-ish shape, then you have flaky salt. If you look closely enough, you can see each flake is shaped kind of like a pyramid, but like snowflakes, all the flakes are different, too. It's best used as a finishing salt.
If you want to try, we recommend Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
Sel gris
Shape: large and small irregular chunks
Harvested from the Atlantic coast of France, the name of this type of salt translates to "gray salt." It gets its grays from specific minerals in the water that come from a clay lining. It tends to be costly because it’s gathered by hand using wooden tools. The taste leans on the brinier side with a moister texture. This is best used as a finishing salt.
If you want to try, we recommend Le Guerandais Coarse Sea Salt Gros Sel.
Fleur de sel
Shape: stacked layers
When the name of the salt is in French, you know it’s going to be fancy. Hailing from the Brittany coast of France, fleur de sel translates to “flower of salt'' and is made only from the “young” crystals. The salt is collected in similar fashion to sel gris with wooden tools as the crystal forms naturally on the surface of the salt evaporation ponds. The collection only takes place once a year in the summer when the weather is perfect. It's best used as a finishing salt (it’s expensive, guys!).
If you want to try, we recommend Le Saunier De Camargue Fleur De Sel.
Himalayan pink salt
Shape: varies
This is a trendy salt. You see it just about everywhere, even in people’s homes as decor. It comes from the Himilayan Mountains of Pakistan and it gets its iconic color from natural minerals that vary from deep reds to light pinks. The uses are versatile; you can use it in salads, on meat, on vegetables, or even to rim the cocktail glass. Basically, you can use it for finishing or general cooking needs depending on texture.
If you want to try, we recommend The Spice Lab Himalayan Salt.
Smoked or flavored salt
Shape: varies
Infusing different flavors into salt is a great way to add some variety to a dish. Smoked salt is perfect for the grill or for over fish. Avoid buying smoked salt made from liquid smoke, as it tends to be bitter. Other flavored salts can come from herbs or spices. Think rosemary salt, truffle salt, or chipotle salt. Things can get even fancier with black garlic salt or wine salt. This is best used as a finishing salt (you don’t want to lose the flavor in the cooking process).
If you want to try, we recommend San Francisco Salt Company Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt.
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