Worth Their Salt

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By Lisa Turner

Few dishes would be complete without a sprinkle of salt. A shake or two can bring out the natural flavor of foods during cooking, and a flourish of coarsely ground salt adds a slightly crunchy flair to any meal. But this simple crystalline combination of sodium and chloride can’t get much respect among health experts of late, the unhappy consequence of health problems caused by high-sodium processed foods and a general overuse of cheap table salt. While few would claim salt as a health food, unrefined and additive-free mined or harvested salts actually have nutrient value in the naturally occurring trace minerals, like potassium, magnesium, and calcium, they contain. Table salt, on the other hand, is stripped of those minerals as it’s refined and then has iodine and anticaking agents added to it. The iodine supports thyroid function and the anticaking compounds absorb moisture and help the salt flow freely.

The loss of those minerals makes all the difference. “When you eat sodium alone, and it isn’t balanced by other minerals, you’re more likely to experience health problems,” says Shari Lieberman, PhD, co-author of The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book (Avery, 2007). “If you use sodium in a 1-to-1 ratio with potassium, for example—as you would in a balanced diet of whole, unprocessed foods—the body will be less likely to retain fluid.” Fluid retention increases the risk of hypertension, which is why people at risk are told to cut back on salt. That becomes easier if you use unrefined salt. Because artisan and sea salts have more dramatic flavor and texture, you can use them in much smaller amounts than white table salt.

These seven salt varieties can enhance your favorite foods without wrecking your healthy-eating habits.

Kala namak. Also called Indian black salt, even though the salt crystals are actually light pink with a grayish tinge, this salt adds a pungent, musky taste that’s reminiscent of cooked eggs. Kala namak is mined in central India as large, reddish-black crystals that are high in sulfur; the crystals are then finely ground into a rosy grey powder. Kala namak plays a key role in Indian cuisine in pickled vegetables, curries, dhal, and savory snacks like pakoras and samosas. Kala namak is also common in vegan cooking, where it adds an egg-like flavor to dishes. It can be used while you cook or as a finishing salt.

Enjoy it: Toss cauliflower florets with coconut oil, cumin, and curry powder, then sprinkle with kala namak and roast until golden; puree cooked parsnips with a small amount of coconut milk, then stir in minced tarragon and kala namak.

Fleur de sel. In French the name means “flower of salt,” and the French considered fleur de sel the caviar of salts. Any fleur de sel is delightful, but the most revered comes from the prized salt marshes of Guérande in Brittany, France, and carries the appellation “de Guérande.” It’s hand-harvested by raking the moist top layers of salt from the surface of ev...

Author: Lisa Turner

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