# Why Sea Salt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 6, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489 "2010-03-06T01:49:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [March 8, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/21 "2010-03-08T02:49:42Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Well, **Chefguy** whose name ought to indicate more knowledge, even though they all taste the same, they don’t all act the same, and if you were to try to substitute one for the other without knowing what you were doing, you’d end up with vastly different tastes (mostly, “too salty”). For things with salt dissolved in the material, and if you measure by weight, not too much of a difference. I’m prone to over-season my steaks if all I have is stupid granulated salt, though. I’ve never seen someone create an argument where there was none before. Interesting. And I’m no expert, nor have I ever claimed to be one. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/22 "2010-03-08T03:03:01Z")
> [@berff](#): > > Speaking of salt, is there any real difference in potassium based salt vs. sodium based salt? I mean, other than the fact that one has potassium and one has sodium? I’ve also noticed that the crystals in the potassium salt are smaller but both kinds taste identical to me. I’ve mostly used it only on snack foods like popcorn and fries but I’m wondering whether it would also suitable for cooking? Is there a good reason that it’s not used more widely? I think you need less of the potassium chloride. I find that potassium chloride tastes slightly metallic if used in the same amount as sodium chloride. It works just fine if I use slightly less, so that is what I do when I use it. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/23 "2010-03-08T03:09:15Z")
> [@berff](#): > > Speaking of salt, is there any real difference in potassium based salt vs. sodium based salt? I mean, other than the fact that one has potassium and one has sodium? I’ve also noticed that the crystals in the potassium salt are smaller but both kinds taste identical to me. I’ve mostly used it only on snack foods like popcorn and fries but I’m wondering whether it would also suitable for cooking? Is there a good reason that it’s not used more widely? The potassium salt tastes bad to a lot of people. There is a difference in taste. There is a difference is how your body reacts to potassium instead of sodium, so that is the only reason to use potassium salt. It sure isn’t because it tastes good. ---
**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:** [March 8, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/24 "2010-03-08T03:18:56Z")
It’s also not clear that potassium salt is any better for you than sodium salt is. Sure, too much sodium is bad, but so is too much potassium, and it may even be that the amount of potassium that’s too much is less than the amount of sodium that’s too much. ---
**Author:** ![berff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@berff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berff)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/25 "2010-03-08T03:26:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s also not clear that potassium salt is any better for you than sodium salt is. Sure, too much sodium is bad, but so is too much potassium, and it may even be that the amount of potassium that’s too much is less than the amount of sodium that’s too much. Yeah, I was kind of wondering about that. I do sometimes use half and half just in case the extra potassium throws off my electolyte balance. I’m also thinking my taste buds might be off, too, as I can’t tell the difference between sugar and splenda either. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/26 "2010-03-08T13:18:18Z")
> [@boilercake](#): > > I’ve had several items enhanced with sea salt, not a one of which was equal to or better than the same product with regular salt, e.g. Planter’s Peanuts, for one. I don’t know if the quantity is the problem but I want salty nuts and sea salt ain’t doing it for me!!! Hey, watch that salty language! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/27 "2010-03-08T13:41:07Z")
A source for [all your artisian salt needs](http://www.cookscorner.net/SpecialtyFood/artisanseasalts.html)! I imagine the non-salt things in some of them may have some subtle flavor effects and different textures when used for finishing can have an impact but mainly some of them would just look cool on the table - pink salt, black salt, old salt, new salt; this one has a little clay, this has a little gray, how many salts that are gourmet! - Dr. Sal Eene ---
**Author:** ![SecTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SecTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecTech)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/28 "2010-03-08T14:13:14Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > A source for [all your artisian salt needs](http://www.cookscorner.net/SpecialtyFood/artisanseasalts.html)! > > I imagine the non-salt things in some of them may have some subtle flavor effects and different textures when used for finishing can have an impact but mainly some of them would just look cool on the table - pink salt, black salt, old salt, new salt; this one has a little clay, this has a little gray, how many salts that are gourmet! - Dr. Sal Eene I purchased a pink Himalayan salt in crystal form for use in our salt mill. Can’t say there is much difference in flavor, but I seem to use less all round, which is a good thing. FWIW, “mined” salt is usually found in massive rock formations, and is Mined, then crushed to the desired coarseness. Sea salt is evaporated in natural or sometimes manufactured “pans”. The sea water is let in, or poured in, several times before the salt is scrapped up and left to dry in mounds. Looks much like a garbage tip in parts of southern Spain. Then the salt is washed and re-dried to be sold at market. Sea salt as a rule is very fine in grain and uniform in texture. This is why many chef’s prefer Kosher salt, as it has rougher facets and the increased (relative) surface area allows for faster dissolution in cooking. (Re: Alton Brown.) ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/29 "2010-03-08T14:16:30Z")
As has been pointed out, when you buy regular table salt, you are buying sea salt from the seas of millions of years ago-the bacteria and viruses in it are long dead. On the other hand, sea salt contains all kinds of crap-bird shit, dead insects, dead marine life, bacteria…yummy! (it is made by evaporating seawater in shallow lagoons, open to the sky…so you get all that “other” organic matter as a bonus!). Plus, that crap is expensive $10.00 for 4 ounces of this filthy, dirty condiment.😃 ---
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/30 "2010-03-08T14:55:04Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Plus, that crap is expensive $10.00 for 4 ounces of this filthy, dirty condiment.😃 I guess all sea salt is not created equal, or at least not priced equally. I have a 13.3 oz bottle of sea salt (the bottle is a grinder, McCormick brand) that I paid $3.00 for. It was on sale I believe but even regular price is no where near $10 even for that amount. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/31 "2010-03-08T15:17:19Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’ve never seen someone create an argument where there was none before. Interesting. And I’m no expert, nor have I ever claimed to be one. Well, with a name like **Chefguy** , I’d assume you know how to cook. Honestly, I wasn’t trying to provoke an argument. But really, try substituting 2 tbs of koshering salt for 2 tbs of finely granulated salt in a baking recipe (or the other way around), and you’ll see what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/32 "2010-03-08T15:53:39Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’ve never seen someone create an argument where there was none before. Welcome to the Straight Dope. 😉 (Yes, I know you’re a Charter Member, I figured you must just have meant “never since last week”.) ---
**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:** [March 8, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/33 "2010-03-08T16:00:25Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Well, with a name like **Chefguy** , I’d assume you know how to cook. Honestly, I wasn’t trying to provoke an argument. But really, try substituting 2 tbs of koshering salt for 2 tbs of finely granulated salt in a baking recipe (or the other way around), and you’ll see what I mean. I should change my name to ‘prickly’. I do know how to cook, but am not a chef (a disclaimer I’ve noted in the past, as well). I discovered the dangers of kosher salt the first time I added it to a dish and ruined it. Normally, I keep a salt cellar next to the stove and just add a small pinch. ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/34 "2010-03-08T17:14:09Z")
> [@SecTech](#): > > Sea salt as a rule is very fine in grain and uniform in texture. This is why many chef’s prefer Kosher salt, as it has rougher facets and the increased (relative) surface area allows for faster dissolution in cooking. (Re: Alton Brown.) No, Kosher salt has reduced surface area. When applied to meat kosher salt will remain on the surface longer, drawing moisture from the meat. If you want salt that will dissolve more easily, you want finer salt, such as popcorn or some pickling salt. I’m fairly certain that Alton Brown covered all of these points in his salt episode. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/35 "2010-03-08T17:31:38Z")
I know someone who sells salts from all over the world. These are made, as Kurlansky describes in his book _Salt_, but confining sea water and letting it evaporate. The different things dissolved in the water and the soil (if the salt is concentrated in a land pen) contribute to the flavor and the color. Not all Sea Salt is gray – some is pinkish, or greenish. Not all are of the same size and texture – it depends on how it’s evaporated. And not all is _fleur de sel_. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/36 "2010-03-08T17:44:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You may be wondering because of Campbell’s ads for their low-sodium sea salt soups. Those are, in fact, significantly lower in sodium than their regular soups… Because they use less salt total. That’s the entire secret of why they’re lower-sodium. The use of sea salt is just a lampshade for marketing purposes. Actually, I was just reading today that Campbell’s “low sodium” Tomato soup is a complete rip-off. Both it and the regular soup have 480mg of Sodium…but the low sodium version is more expensive… [http://www.mouseprint.org/2010/03/08/campbells-not-25-less-sodium-tomato-soup/](http://www.mouseprint.org/2010/03/08/campbells-not-25-less-sodium-tomato-soup/) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/37 "2010-03-08T20:31:07Z")
Anyone ever used smoked salt? I saw some at a farmers market and sure enough, it smelled smoky. But I didn’t buy any. So does it add any appreciable smokiness to a dish? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489.md?page=1)