12 Types of Salt Every Cook Should Know

No matter where the variety of salt is sourced from, the common thread is that salt is made of sodium chloride and shaped like a cube in crystal form. Even more interesting, the salt’s structure (size and shape) and mineral content affect its taste and how it interacts with herbs and other ingredients.

It’s good to be aware that measuring the exact volume does not always give the same salt content amongst different types of salt. For example, you would need twice the amount of kosher salt to have the same sodium level as table salt. Also, the salt content can vary between brands. The best thing to do is to start with less when you’re seasoning, then build up until you reach the desired level.

Also known as common salt, it is finely ground, square-shaped crystals sourced from underground salt deposits and is vacuum evaporated. This is the standard, all-purpose salt you’ll find on your table. It may include anti-caking agents to make it easy to pour. Iodized means iodine has been added, a catch-all to prevent iodine deficiency. However, it imparts a slightly chemical flavor.

• Taste: A clean salt taste that dissolves quickly. Iodized salt has a slight chemical aftertaste.
• Best Used For: General cooking and baking applications.

Flakier and coarser than table salt, its larger shape comes from raking during evaporation. The name is not used because it’s kosher, but because it’s used during the kosher meat process. Typically, it contains no additives, but check labels. Particle size and salt amounts vary between brands, so adjustments should be made.

Simple Conversion: According to America’s Test Kitchen, 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

This is a great quick conversion. However, if you want a more accurate measurement, use 1 ¼ teaspoons of Morton kosher salt. See the table below for detailed salt conversions.

• Taste: A clean flavor that takes longer to dissolve.
• Best Used For: Salting meats because it clings well to the surface and is easy to distribute. Sprinkle on roasted vegetables and general seasoning at the end of cooking for a pop of crunch and flavor.

Sea salt is evaporated from salt water, so it’s generally coarse, irregularly shaped, unrefined, and can vary in color. Since it’s minimally processed, it has other trace minerals like calcium, magnesium, and copper, giving it a more complex flavor profile. Depending on the process’s cost and quality, sea salt prices vary.

• Taste: Similar to table salt with some complex mineral notes.
• Best Used For: More affordable versions for salting meats, seafood, and vegetables. It has a more crunchy texture. Popular to use in Whole30 and Paleo diets.

The purest form of salt in the world is harvested in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan. It has a distinct salmon-colored hue and substantial, irregularly shaped particles. It’s rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron. Since it’s dried at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, it has a high heat tolerance. From a health perspective, it’s often used to create electrolyte balance and increase hydration in the body, among other benefits.

• Taste: High mineral flavor with complex notes.
• Best Used For: Seasoning meats, soups, salads, and vegetables. You may need to add the salt crystals to a grinder or buy the finer size, use small amounts, and gradually add more as needed.

Himalayan Black Salt

Also known as Kala Namak, it is a type of rock salt naturally occurring in the Himalayas. It can range in color from pinkish brown to black. Traces of magnesium, potassium, sulfates, iron sulfide, and other elements from the mountains add an interesting flavor when added to recipes.

• Taste: It is lower in sodium than table salt. The sulfur content adds a savory umami flavor and boiled egg aroma.
• Best Used For: South Asian dishes and adding an egg-like flavor to vegan recipes.

Known in French as grey salt or sel gris, Celtic sea salt is harvested from tidal pools in France. It consists of whole raw crystals filled with minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium, and its alkaline pH helps with sodium assimilation in the body.

• Taste: It has a salty mineral taste and a chunky texture.
• Best Used For: Seasoning meats and fish, pickling, and adding to a salt grinder.

Harvested from French tidal pools, but in the country’s far northeast, in Brittany. This is a specialty, paper-thin salt delicately taken from the water’s surface during a short-lived crystallization period. It has a blue-grey tinge and retains moisture well.

• Taste: Light briny flavor, delicate and crunchy texture.
• Best Used For: A good finishing salt for candy, vegetables, meat, seafood, grilled foods, salads, and baked goods.

Smoked Salt

A simple way to add salty and smoky flavors to dishes. Different types of wood can impart unique flavors and aromas to the salt. The most common are apple wood, alder, mesquite, hickory, and oak.

• Taste: Smoky, charred, and salty.
• Best Used For: Adding to dry rubs and marinades to add a smoky taste. Great for barbecued meats and vegetables.

Pickling Salt

It’s used for pickling foods like cucumbers, onions, or other vegetables. It’s often pure granulated salt with no added preservatives or ingredients to improve the product’s flow. This gives a cleaner, pickled taste and a clearer solution that doesn’t get dark and cloudy. It’s also called canning or preserving salt, and canned salt can be used in those applications.

• Taste: A clean salt taste with no added preservatives or flow agents.
• Best Used For: Pickling, canning, and preserving foods.

Flake salt is hand-harvested from saltwater and is irregularly shaped, often with unique, large, flat, square crystals that are beautiful. Low in mineral content.

• Taste: Clean but intense salt flavor with a soft, crunchy texture.
• Best Used For: A finishing salt to add texture and enhance the flavors of food. It’s often used in baking and confectionery for garnishing sweets.

Both black and pink Hawaiian salts are volcanic salts with mythical properties on the Pacific islands. Red sea salts may contain volcanic clay, natural trace minerals, and electrolytes, giving them earthy tones. Black lava sea salt contains activated charcoal for its dark color.

• Taste: Both coarse-grained and chunky, they add a sophisticated flavor burst.
• Best Used For: Seasoning salads, vegetables, barbecued meats, fish, and poultry.

Nutritional aspects

There are low-salt diets and high-salt diets alike—it’s best to ask your doctor which may suit you best, if any. Generally, a healthy amount of salt is considered safe, especially during home cooking.

Sticking to whole foods and cooking at home is an excellent way to reduce salt intake and ensure that whatever you consume is well within the range of healthy consumption. Salt is also OK in special diets like Whole30, even the iodized table kind. Overall, it’s recommended that adults ingest no more than 2,300 mg daily, equal to about one teaspoon of salt.

Salt conversions

Most salt spices don’t need to be converted between recipes in small amounts below 1 teaspoon. However, as levels increase, so does the flavor impact. This is especially important when making a turkey brine that uses high amounts of salt.

The most popular types of salt for cooking and baking are table salt, kosher, sea salt, Himalayan salt, and pickling salt. The shapes, sizes, and densities vary greatly. Use the table below to convert salt between varieties. I’ve included Diamond Crystal kosher salt, as the amount varies from Morton kosher salt.

How to use salt

• Contamination: I store my kosher salt in a small wooden box for general cooking because I use it so frequently. However, if working with raw meat, add a small amount of salt to a separate bowl so the salt stock is not contaminated. Keep covered when not in use to prevent moisture pick up.
• Amounts: Recipes provide a starting amount, usually leaving room to add more salt to taste. Cooking and baking salts typically use table salt, kosher salt, or sea salt. Try to follow directions and guidelines for type. However, make adjustments for quantity if you modify. It’s better to start with less because more can always be added.
• Applying: When adding salt to food before cooking, it’s best to sprinkle it on about 12-inches above the ingredient. This technique helps evenly distribute the salt and prevent pockets from oversalting.

Ways to use salt

• Make a marinade for chicken for moist and juicy pieces
• To brine a turkey
• Properly salt and cook pasta
• Quick soaking beans for better texture
• Make your own homemade pickled red onions
• Make salted caramel sauce
• Learn more about what is msg and how it’s used in cooking