Salt of the Earth

(Did I mention I'm starting with the basics?)

Until recently, I thought salt was just salt; you know, the stuff that made stuff salty. But salt can add subtle flavor that reflects its geographical region.

I tried six salts: Cyprus Flake, Fleur de Sel de Guerande, Alaea Hawaiian, Murray River Flake, Himalayan Pink, and Black Lava.



Himalayan Pink: This salt is found, yes, in the Himalayas - making it very old - around 200 million years old. Salt from this region is known for its very high mineral content. I found this salt to be slightly sweet and very mild.

Alaea Hawaiian: These course grains were reddish brown in color (from their high iron-oxide content). While this salt was relatively mild in saltiness, it was very flavorful and my favorite of the salts I tried.

Fleur de Sel: This salt is moist and sticks together. This salt was the strongest in the saltiness category for me.

Cyprus Flake: The texture of this large flake salt was interesting.

Murray River: This salt is from Australia and pink! It was very mild, almost slightly sweet.

Black Lava: This salt was the most visually interesting, large black grains. I found it similar to the Alaea salt, earthy and minerally.


The flavor, texture, and color of the salts was fun. I used the two Hawaiian salts as finishing salts.