# Looking for a Particular Salt **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2018, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575 "2018-02-25T23:05:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![molten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@molten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/molten)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/1 "2018-02-25T23:05:11Z")
Where can I get the type of salt they put with sunflower seeds? I have tried various different brands of salt but none taste anything like it. I also like the salt they use at McDonalds for the fries, and I could not find that one either. Unlike what most people think, different salts are not chemically the same thing, and it is not just the size of the grain that affects the taste. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/2 "2018-02-25T23:16:01Z")
Have you tried kosher salt or sea salt? Tell us what you have tried. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/3 "2018-02-25T23:19:49Z")
Have you tried [Flour Salt](https://www.americanspice.com/micro-powder-salt-flour/)? Also [here](https://nuts.com/cookingbaking/salts/flour.html). Even more options from [Morton](http://www.mortonsalt.com/salt-selection-guide/). Easiest to find might be Morton [popcorn](http://www.mortonsalt.com/home-product/morton-popcorn-salt/) salt - I have seen it in many grocery stores. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/4 "2018-02-25T23:26:47Z")
Do all sunflower seeds have salt with the same specific taste? What makes you think it’s the flavor of the salt they use, and not the sunflower (e.g. the scent of the sunflower seeds, or the oil that transfers to the salt)? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/5 "2018-02-26T00:24:54Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/6 "2018-02-26T00:38:12Z")
Wait, aren’t sunflower seeds salted by soaking them in a saltwater solution, then drying them out? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/7 "2018-02-26T00:48:45Z")
On McFries they just use a very fine ground salt. Sunflower seeds are sometimes packaged with a seasoned salt- mostly fine salt with a touch of paprika in it - try some Mrs. Dash to test this out. McFries are fried in, and sunflower seeds are often packaged in, a partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Try adding a drop or two of melted Crisco to your salt, and see if that’s the flavor you are looking for. ---
**Author:** ![molten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@molten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/molten)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/8 "2018-02-26T00:50:33Z")
I don’t recall all the names of the salts that I have tried but I tried sea salt, Himalayan salt, table salt, I think all kinds of popcorn salt (I now use one of those). I have not tried flour salt. How is this called on Amazon? The sunflower seeds that I got had salt in the package that I loved the flavor of. I did get them in Israel though. All brands there had good salt. It is not used for other products in Israel. I actually did not try those in the states I admit. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/9 "2018-02-26T00:53:08Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Wait, aren’t sunflower seeds salted by soaking them in a saltwater solution, then drying them out? This is what I do to parched in the shell peanuts. Soak them raw, dry and place on a cookie sheet and parch them in a hot oven. Nothing smells better IMO. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/10 "2018-02-26T01:44:13Z")
> [@molten](#): > > I have not tried flour salt. How is this called on Amazon? Search for popcorn salt. Same thing unless flavored. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/11 "2018-02-26T01:49:42Z")
There are many different chemicals which are salts, but culinary salt of any sort is sodium chloride. Culinary salts differ only in the shape and size of the grains, and occasionally in very small traces of impurities which are almost impossible to taste. And the impure ones are far too expensive to show up at McDonald’s or in snack packs of sunflower seeds. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/12 "2018-02-26T01:52:48Z")
Are pink salt and black salt just impure salts? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/13 "2018-02-26T01:57:09Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Are pink salt and black salt just impure salts? yes ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/14 "2018-02-26T02:09:56Z")
If you have a blade type coffee grinder you can take regular salt and turn it into powder salt. I have one I use just for grinding spices. GaryM ---
**Author:** ![Batano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Batano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batano)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/15 "2018-02-26T14:42:12Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Are pink salt and black salt just impure salts? Pink salt may also refer to sodium nitrate/nitrite used in curing meat. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/16 "2018-02-26T15:58:20Z")
For the McDonalds salt, you could try just going to a McDonalds with a small container and asking them to give you some. The cost has to be low enough for them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/17 "2018-02-26T17:39:00Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Easiest to find might be Morton [popcorn](http://www.mortonsalt.com/home-product/morton-popcorn-salt/) salt - I have seen it in many grocery stores. Yeah, I would say that type of finely grained popcorn salt is probably what the OP is looking for. It’s still just salt. So far as I can tell, McDonald’s just uses whatever the local foodservice salt is (there doesn’t seem to be international standarization on this.) For example, in Canada, they use salt from [St. Claire, Michigan](https://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/answer/what-kind-of-salt-is-used-in-hash-browns-and-fries-is-it-sea-salt-or-is-it-regular-salt/). They do seem to have a granulation specification, but that’s about it that I see. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/18 "2018-02-26T18:46:48Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > If you have a blade type coffee grinder you can take regular salt and turn it into powder salt. > > I have one I use just for grinding spices. > > GaryM x2 same as how powdered sugar somehow seems sweeter, you can powder salt this way as well. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-particular-salt/809575/19 "2018-02-27T00:41:37Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > If you have a blade type coffee grinder you can take regular salt and turn it into powder salt. A blender works in a pinch, too.