Types of Salt: The Definitive Guide

Salt just makes food taste better. Right?

Well, yes…and no. While salt certainly helps to bring out the flavors of food, it also carries an array of other benefits! Discover the different types and how to use each one with this guide to salt!

In Italy, salt is used in countless ways. We add generous amounts of salt to boiling water for pasta and we use it to cure meats like prosciutto. In fact, more often than not, salt is one of the few seasonings we Italians use to flavor our food, preferring to allow the natural flavors of high-quality ingredients shine. Take, for example, the classic Bistecca alla Fiorentina, which is simply grilled beef seasoned with salt, pepper, and a few sprigs of fresh herbs.

While salt might seem simple enough, there are many varieties of this everyday ingredient. What are the different types of salt and how should you use each of them? Read on!

Found in salt shakers on virtually every dining room table, common table salt is very salty in taste and usually has iodine added to it. It has salt crystals that are small, cubic, and granular. While not harmful or bad, table salt lacks texture and is usually low-quality. Since its crystals are so small and compact, it's easy to oversalt your food with table salt. In other words: if you want to improve the way your food tastes, invest in better quality salt!

Used in the traditional Jewish process called koshering in which blood is removed from meat, kosher salt is pure and contains no additional additives. The salt crystals in kosher salt are slightly larger than table salt, which means that a pinch of kosher salt won't taste nearly as salty as a pinch of table salt! This type of salt is ideal for everyday cooking, from salting pasta water to seasoning raw ingredients before cooking.

Every brand of kosher salt has a slightly different crystal shape, texture, and level of saltiness. This is one of the reasons why many recipes suggest salting to taste. (In Italian we say quanto basta, or "as much as necessary.") Therefore, when salting a dish, use your senses and constantly taste your food to know when you need to add more salt!

Harvested from evaporated sea water, sea salt has a coarser grain and more complex flavor than regular table salt. There are many different varieties of sea salt, each offering its own particular texture, color, and flavor (yes different types of salts taste different!). Often less-refined and more expensive than regular table salt, sea salt is best when used to finish a dish just before serving, as cooking with it early on will dilute its unique properties.

GREY SEA SALT
Also known as sel gris, grey sea salt is mined from the French-Atlantic coast in the salt pans of Brittany, France. Its complex flavor evokes minerals and flavors of the sea.

Pairing suggestion: Perfect sprinkling on salads or using as a finishing salt on grilled meat and vegetables.

BLACK SEA SALT
Collected from volcanic islands of Hawaii, black sea salt gets its dark color from activated charcoal present in the salt mines.

Pairing suggestion: Use as a finishing salt on grilled pork and seafood.

TRAPANI SEA SALT
Hand-harvested in the salt pans of Trapani, Sicilia, these salt crystals are the first to bloom on the surface of salt ponds and thus retain valuable nutrients that add a subtle mineral flavor. Because of the traditional methods used to harvest Trapani Sea Salt, this is a Slow Food Presidia product.

Pairing suggestion: Use as a finishing salt on red, white and game meats, vegetables, and salads.

RED SEA SALT
Harvested from the coast of Hawaii, red sea salt gets its stunning pink and brownish color from the particles of volcanic red clay. It has a robust flavor and a coarse-grained texture.

Pairing suggestion: Perfect for finishing grilled pork, seafood, and sprinkling over fresh ricotta or robiola for a beautiful presentation

CYPRUS SALT FLAKES
Hailing from the island of Cyprus, this salt has a crunchy texture and a complex, briny flavor. Its sheer pyramid-like flakes dissolve quickly on the palate.

Pairing suggestion:  Crush between your fingertips and sprinkle on red meats, as well as on fresh vegetables, boiled eggs, and fish.

Also known as halite, rock salt is found in a solid mineral form from salt mines, often in dry lake beds and arid regions.

PINK SALT
Harvested from 200 million-year-old Himalayan mines, pink salt is the purest form of salt in the world and has a bold flavor.

Pairing suggestion: Perfect for grinding and seasoning roasted or grilled meats, vegetables, and seafood.

Curious to try out new salts? Explore our unique salt collection. Find your local Eataly, or shop online!