# What's your salt?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 7, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625 "2004-12-07T21:50:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/41 "2004-12-09T02:09:58Z")
I very rarely use salt-salt. I don’t really like my food to get that salty anyway; the salt that’s already in the butter or whatever I’m cooking with is usually good enough. I’m planning to make some seared seafood tonight (marlin or ahi, probably), and I’m just going to coat it with ground peppercorns and nothing else before throwing it onto the heat.
When I do want salt, I typically use Tony Chachere’s cajun spice powder. It’s got salt in it, and a bunch of other good stuff besides.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/42 "2004-12-09T02:31:14Z")
Salt encrusted prime rib roast. Mmm mmm mmm.
And, just as they say, not all that salty.
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### Author:  [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/43 "2004-12-09T09:41:25Z")
I have 4 salts in regular rotation.
A cheap pure salt for stuff like boiling potatos or pasta.
A refined sea salt processed like rock salt that I coarsely grind with a mortar and pestle for texture, used on stuff like steaks where the variation makes it more interesting.
A refined sea salt in flakes for when I want the warmth of sea salt without overwhelming the dish
and an unrefined Atlantic sea salt that is a lovely grey colour and has an amazing flavour.
I use the last one probably 80% of the time but salt doesn’t go bad so I like having the others in rotation in my pantry.
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### Author:  [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/44 "2004-12-11T19:29:27Z")
Where I grew up, there was quite definitely still a risk of goiter. I was and still may be at risk, though I’m sure I’ll be fine now I live in the states.
[http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/publichealth/foodandnutrition/iodine/](http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/publichealth/foodandnutrition/iodine/)
Does that make Australia a third world country? My mother tells stories of the days when the “country people” would come into town, a veritable array of thyroid deficiencies. Those days aren’t very long in the past.
However, that’s a side track. I am picky about eating a lot of salt on food. I like it seasoned just so - I use unsalted butter then add salt to taste when cooking. French fries, I do love plain old table salt on, everything else I use rock salt for. Mmm. Because of the big chunks. I like it so I get those bursts of flavour previously mentioned.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/45 "2004-12-11T19:41:30Z")
Emerill’s right about seasoning fried foods, esp french fries. Salt them right out of the deep fat. I salt them in the strainer, while tossing, on the way to the tray.
BTW; I double-fry my fries. Always have.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/46 "2004-12-11T20:03:09Z")
[gomashio](http://www.hgof.ns.ca/index2.php?function=viewrecipe&item=55)
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### Author:  [@Assuming\_facts\_not\_in\_evidence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Assuming_facts_not_in_evidence)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/47 "2004-12-11T20:59:52Z")
Store brand iodized.
Iodized because there’s a simple reason it was added to the food supply- to avoid goiter in the general population ( = me and my family).
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/48 "2004-12-11T21:06:09Z")
_Enough_ with the goiters, OK? I’m sorry I brought it up!
Anyone here ever seen a goiter? Looks uncomfortable, at the least. :eek:
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### Author:  [@Assuming\_facts\_not\_in\_evidence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Assuming_facts_not_in_evidence)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/49 "2004-12-11T21:14:48Z")
I beg your pardon?
The thread is a survey. My opinion has nothing to do with you.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/50 "2004-12-11T23:55:22Z")
> [@mangeorge](#):
>
> > [@Chefguy](#):
> >
> > **JESUS CHRIST, PEOPLE, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET A GODDAMN GOITER BECAUSE YOU DON’T EAT IODIZED SALT ON YOUR FOOD!**
> > Thanks, I feel much better now; but please read the thread before repeatedly posting this sort of nonsense.
>
> Now you went and made The Baby Jesus frown. 😉
> But hey, I just asked (up there, somewhere).
> Common wisdom, back in the day, was that if you lived _near_ a large body of salt water, you were probably ok. Otherwise, iodized salt was a good idea.
> Do you have a reliable source to back up your, ahem, tirade? 😛
> Love ya anyway, **Chefguy**.
He’s referring to this.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/51 "2004-12-12T00:57:55Z")
> [@mangeorge](#):
>
> Now you went and made The Baby Jesus frown. 😉
> But hey, I just asked (up there, somewhere).
> Common wisdom, back in the day, was that if you lived _near_ a large body of salt water, you were probably ok. Otherwise, iodized salt was a good idea.
> Do you have a reliable source to back up your, ahem, tirade? 😛
> Love ya anyway, **Chefguy**.
I suspect I could find many, if so inclined. Simply considering the diet of most Americans will tell you that we ingest tons of the iodized stuff on a regular basis. Canned foods, fast foods, etc. are all salt-added foods containing far more sodium (let alone iodine) than anyone really needs. Iodized salt is one of those holdovers from an earlier age.
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### Author:  [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-salt/278625/52 "2004-12-12T04:27:12Z")
I have Trader Joes sea salt with the grinder cap. Good stuff, reserved for foods you can taste it on.
I like the popcorn salt, too. Super fine, it realy coats.
Fast food places have the little paper packets with the two salt filled ribs along the front. You crack them open and pour it on…ummmmmy. Salty fries.
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