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Elevate Your Cooking Game By Using Kosher Salt

Ceremonial purifier or flavor enhancer? This important mineral has been part of society and culture—and mealtime—for centuries. Yes, I’m talking about salt. It’s most familiar to us as a flavor enhancer to be used from a shaker on the table. But throughout history, salt has played an important role in culture, from curses to currency. In today’s article about how to elevate your cooking game by using kosher salt, we will not only look at using kosher salt, but at its history as well.

More than likely you’ve heard the story from the Bible of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt. Did you know that salt has been used by Sumo wrestlers for centuries to purify their ring before a match? Reaching even further back in history, we see that part of a Roman soldier’s salary was salt. If he wasn’t worth his “salt”, his pay was cut.

It makes sense then that our English word salary has it’s origin in the Latin word salarium, which means salt money.

Salt: A Big Part of History and Cuisine

Salt has played a prominent role in the history of the world.

Cities have been built around salt, and wars have been fought over access to it.

Today, there’s no greater role for this precious mineral than the role it plays in making your food taste its best.

I’m often asked which type of salt is the best choice for cooking.

Hands-down, it’s kosher salt.

It’s easier to handle because it’s larger grains are pinchable.

It is the go-to salt for most chefs.

Size Does Matter

One thing that’s important to understand – different types of salt are not interchangeable when it comes to measuring them into a recipe.

Table salt, kosher salt, and sea salt have different size crystals and varying amounts of trace minerals.

Measure for measure iodized table salt is more concentrated than kosher salt, and therefore, more salty.

And, as the name implies idodized salt has added iodine, a micronutrient you may or may not need additional doses of depending on your diet.