# Sea salt portions: same as regular salt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 14, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423 "2009-05-14T16:42:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/1 "2009-05-14T16:42:02Z")
If one normally pours out a small mound of salt in one’s hand (about a teaspoon, I guess) and seasons with it, would one use the same amount of sea salt? Or is sea salt like Splenda, in the sense that the quantities used are very different from sugar. (Also, what does one do about one’s iodine needs? Is there an iodized sea salt?) ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/2 "2009-05-14T16:54:13Z")
I only use sea salt, and I use less than I would with regular table salt. The flavor is stronger. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/3 "2009-05-14T17:00:52Z")
I use kosher salt. It takes less to season because the grains are much larger than ordinary table salt. Or at least that’s my perception. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/4 "2009-05-14T17:04:55Z")
Salt is salt. The only difference is the size of the grains – pickling salt, for instance, is so fine that there’s more salt in a measure (it’s like the difference between putting sand or quartz stones in the same container – the sand is the same density as the stones, but there’s less space between each sand grain than there is between each stone). Kosher salt, because it has larger grains than table salt, has less salt in the same volume. Chefs prefer kosher salt because they like the way its larger grains feel when they toss it in. It also looks cooler to pick up the grains and drop them into a recipe. Once you put salt in liquid (and it needs to be in liquid to taste it), all salt is the same. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/5 "2009-05-14T17:06:27Z")
You’ll need to experiment to find the right balance. I’ve been told by more than one cook that you will generally use MORE sea salt than table salt. Table salt has iodine added, which makes it more “salty” on the palate. ---
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/6 "2009-05-14T17:14:52Z")
I use kosher salt and sea salt. I usually use use coarse salt, especially on meats, but for vegetables, rice and a few other things I use fine sea salt. I don’t know if it’s true, but I was told that sea salt isn’t available with iodine because it’s not processed the way table salt is. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/7 "2009-05-14T17:15:08Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > You’ll need to experiment to find the right balance. > > I’ve been told by more than one cook that you will generally use MORE sea salt than table salt. Table salt has iodine added, which makes it more “salty” on the palate. Not sure about the iodine part of your comment. I think the more intense saltiness from kosher or sea salt is because the grains have larger surface area to come in contact with your tongue. Salt is pretty much salt when it’s cooked. Sprinkled on food, iodized salt has a more chemical flavor to me. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/8 "2009-05-14T17:19:46Z")
Usually sea salt has larger grains. Some brands come in both coarse and fine. You using a salt mill? No way is all salt salt. Some have a better or stronger flavor than others. My personal favorite is [La Baliene](http://www.seasaltsuperstore.com/product_info.php?cPath=23_3&products_id=330&SeaSaltID=ed1e68b828bb7aa7e40bbf6af461b443) which embiggens everything it comes across to a larger degree than any table salt I’ve used. I bought Morton’s sea salt once in a pinch, and it was pretty much a larger-grain version of the rest of the salt they make. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/9 "2009-05-14T18:40:34Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Not sure about the iodine part of your comment. I think the more intense saltiness from kosher or sea salt is because the grains have larger surface area to come in contact with your tongue. Salt is pretty much salt when it’s cooked. Sprinkled on food, iodized salt has a more chemical flavor to me. This can’t be right. 1 oz. of kosher or sea salt is bound to have less salt than 1 oz. of table salt. Each grain - yes. But per portion? I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/10 "2009-05-14T19:02:38Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Not sure about the iodine part of your comment. I think the more intense saltiness from kosher or sea salt is because the grains have larger surface area to come in contact with your tongue. It’s the opposite. A larger number of smaller grains will cover more surface area than a smaller number of larger grains. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/11 "2009-05-14T19:27:19Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > I only use sea salt, and I use less than I would with regular table salt. The flavor is stronger. You should be doing the opposite. Sea salt is not stronger, but it has larger grains. By weight, more table salt fits into a Tablespoon than does sea salt. Yes, all salt is salt. ---
**Author:** ![gang\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f07891/32.png) [@gang\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gang_green)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/12 "2009-05-14T19:37:00Z")
> [@Rainbowthief](#): > > I don’t know if it’s true, but I was told that sea salt isn’t available with iodine because it’s not processed the way table salt is. You can get iodized sea salt. I’ve gotten two different brands. It’s hard to find, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/13 "2009-05-14T19:49:02Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > It’s the opposite. A larger number of smaller grains will cover more surface area than a smaller number of larger grains. I think what he means - and what I think I’ve read in sources like _Cook’s Illustrated_ - that a large salt grain has a larger surface area to itself so it provides a larger salt-taste “burst” when your tongue touches it. Also, small salt grains are more likely to quickly dissolve into any fluids on the food and thus disperse and dilute their flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/14 "2009-05-14T19:58:40Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I think what he means - and what I think I’ve read in sources like _Cook’s Illustrated_ - that a large salt grain has a larger surface area to itself so it provides a larger salt-taste “burst” when your tongue touches it. Also, small salt grains are more likely to quickly dissolve into any fluids on the food and thus disperse and dilute their flavor. Dilute what flavor? The flavor of the salt, or the flavor of the meat? Kosher salt was primarily used in koshering because it stuck to the meat better. The stuff we use in salt shakers today has a tendency to just bounce off. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/15 "2009-05-14T20:04:02Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Dilute what flavor? The flavor of the salt, or the flavor of the meat? I think I know what he’s saying. The first time I used sea salt, I used a bit more than I normally would have, because of the smaller surface area. But I did get more intense “bursts” of flavor, as table salt doesn’t exactly clump together. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/16 "2009-05-14T20:26:10Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > You should be doing the opposite. Sea salt is not stronger, but it has larger grains. By weight, more table salt fits into a Tablespoon than does sea salt. > > Yes, all salt is salt. Even when I use a salt mill, I use less. Sea salt and run-of-the-mill Morton’s taste the same to you? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/17 "2009-05-14T20:30:51Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Even when I use a salt mill, I use less. Sea salt and run-of-the-mill Morton’s taste the same to you? Morton’s salt should taste stronger, if anything. It contains more salt. ETA: If you’re talking about sprinkling on your food, there’s a chance sea salt might taste a bit different. Cooked in food, which is what the OP seemed to be referring to, there should be absolutely no difference. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/18 "2009-05-14T20:54:13Z")
Well I use it for everything, but there is certainly a noticeable difference between grinding some sea salt over a baked potato, and using shaker of regular salt. After moving to a neighborhood where it’s impossible to find any food I like, I’ve found that not all salt is created equal. And all cayenne pepper is \*certainly \*not created equal. That Spice Islands shite can blow me. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/19 "2009-05-14T21:02:39Z")
According to Morton Salt, you need to use a little more coarse kosher salt to equal the finer grained table salt. How much more? Table…Kosher 1 teaspoon…1¼ teaspoon 1 tablespoon…1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon ¼ cup…¼ cup+ 1 teaspoon And so on. There’s also a conversion for fine sea salt. [http://www.mortonsalt.com/salt\_guide/index.html](http://www.mortonsalt.com/salt_guide/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423/20 "2009-05-14T21:15:58Z")
One, I don’t use Morton’s salt of any kind because their coarse sea salt (the only one I’ve tried) and their regular table salt taste exactly the same to me, which kind of goes against the reason I buy sea salt in the first place. Two, according to the table linked, their salt and coarse sea salt measurements are exactly the same. I wonder how Morton’s would compare to La Baliene’s, which I use almost exclusively. Taste tests forthcoming… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-salt-portions-same-as-regular-salt/496423.md?page=2)