446916 Tue Oct 02 10:21:32 -0700 2007 28 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2994552 [NOTE: We've moved this digression from the thread at http://www.chowhound.com/topics/446206 -- THE CHOWHOUND TEAM] With all due respect. I really find most of those exotic varieties of salt to be mostly foofy overpriced nonsense for "foodies." With the exception of some fleur de sel I don't even like how they taste. That people pay $15 for 3-4 ounces of some pink salt from who knows where is largely marketing driven. "Gosh isn't that package pretty, and pink salt"... Do a blind tasting of most of them, see if you can taste the difference or even enjoy the way they taste without their over-the-top packaging. Furthermore, even those could easily be sold pre-ground. The big ole chunks are just part of the marketeering. Mon Oct 01 18:28:22 -0700 2007 10169 StriperGuy 1 2994927 well i don't mine the stuff or distribute it, i just cook with it...so i don't exactly have control over the fact that some of the varieties i want to buy are only available in larger crystals. besides, we're all entitled to our opinions & preferences. one man's truffle is another's musty fungus [or, as you might be inclined to call it, 'foofy overpriced nonsense]. Mon Oct 01 21:02:20 -0700 2007 2994552 103920 goodhealthgourmet 2 2995269 Love truffles, foie gras, Sevruga and Osetra Caviar (never tried beluga), Jamon Iberico (Jabugo) de Belota, and many other pricey food items. I find with the gourmet salt craze that these products are mostly purchased because they are so pretty, and mostly just sit on people shelves... looking pretty. I tend to buy sea salt from Trader Joes for about $3 and leave it at that. Now I'm getting hungry. Might have to swing by Formaggio Kitchen and buy some charcuterie for lunch: www.formaggiokitchen.com Heck they probably have an exotic salt or two, those would make nice paperweights on my desk at work ;-). Tue Oct 02 03:41:43 -0700 2007 2994927 10169 StriperGuy 3 2996239 yep, some people may purchase the salts just because they look pretty...personally i've tried them because i really am fascinated by the distinct differences in flavors. i'm sure many people think they all taste the same, much in the way some just don't get the various notes in wine. i'm just one of those people with a sensitive nose/palate so i can detect the subtle differences. granted, this is not always a good thing...nor are ALL the salt varieties i've sampled. some are so minerally or metallic i can't imagine who'd want to ruin their food with that taste. might as well just dump some morton's into the dish & call it a day. i do have a couple of favorites, though, and grinding them in a mill is the easiest way for me to make them convenient for sprinkling. anyway, to each his own. Tue Oct 02 09:39:36 -0700 2007 2995269 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 2996374 So pray tell, convert me, which of the pricey salts (again minus the fleur de sel which I do actually like) do you like and consider "worth it" and enjoy? Quite of few of the foofy salts I have tasted are not anything I would really want on my food. As you may imagine, I also take my wine pretty seriously. Tue Oct 02 10:05:02 -0700 2007 2996239 10169 StriperGuy 5 2997198 I like smoked sea salt on just about everything... other than that we just use kosher salt. Tue Oct 02 13:10:07 -0700 2007 2996374 72401 jnstarla 5 2997500 when it comes to more 'standard' salts, i always have coarse, sea, fleur de sel & kosher in the cabinet. as far as exotic or unusual varieties, hawaiian pink salt is the only 'exotic' salt i keep on hand. i've found it to be one of the more versatile options. there are also some really wonderful varieties of smoked sea salt. i've loved every one i've tried. i've also had - and enjoyed - 2 japanese salts...moshio & iburi cherry. it obviously depends on the dish, too. some of these salts might taste just fine on their own, but certain notes just wouldn't complement many foods, and might even interfere with the flavors. on the flip side, they could be pretty unremarkable by themselves, but add that 'certain something' that elevates a dish to the next level. occasionally i just like to play around with them to see what works & what doesn't. i guess the good news is that when i do that, i don't use much...it can be pretty expensive stuff to 'play' with. :) ok, now varieties that don't do it for me... grey salt. it's fine, but i think it's been much more hyped than it deserves, and hence, is way overpriced. and whatever you do, stay away from [indian] black salt...that is, unless your idea of 'delicious' is the culinary equivalent of a nose/mouthful of cess pool water or rotten eggs. did someone say SULFUR? Tue Oct 02 14:15:47 -0700 2007 2996374 103920 goodhealthgourmet 6 2998203 Thank you for the extensive rundown. You have convinced me that you are not just using your salts for paperweights.... Chimed in on the Sauv. Blanc thread you posted on. The Villa Maria is an insane bang for the buck. Just cracked a bottle. Tue Oct 02 17:49:07 -0700 2007 2997500 10169 StriperGuy 6 3000337 oops...minor correction. i was typing so quickly yesterday i entered the wrong salt name. my go-to is HIMALAYAN pink. hawaiian is red...and a little too minerally for my taste. the iron from the clay is often pretty evident. Wed Oct 03 10:55:58 -0700 2007 2997500 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 2998426 Maldon definately has it's own unique taste -- I love it as a snack and on tomatoes. Kosher is great for cooking. I've got 3 different smoked salts that definately taste different and delish. Murray River salt has it's own unique taste too, that works well in certain dishes. Sometimes a foofy salt is a let down, but sometimes it's a lovely new surprise. The red hawain salt is nice for a visual bit, as well as the salt taste but other salts could sub for the flavour. Tue Oct 02 19:04:19 -0700 2007 2994552 45908 orangewasabi 1 2998739 heads-up for anyone in the los angeles market...just saw a promo for the 11 p.m. news on abc...they're doing a report on gourmet/specialty salt tonight. Tue Oct 02 20:48:56 -0700 2007 2994552 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 2998859 Generally I use kosher salt. I do, however, use a red Hawaiian sea salt sometimes as a finishing salt. It tastes great and really perks up the presentaion. At about $4 a half pound it's obviously much pricier, but I don't need much. It's beautiful, for example, with edamame. Tue Oct 02 21:35:28 -0700 2007 2994552 95291 Richard 16 1 2999284 StriperGuy, you are a brave one. Last December I got severely trounced for suggesting that these exotic salts were a foodie fad. So, when I found out a friend was going to Hawaii I asked him to bring me some red Hawaiian sea salt - 'cause I just had to taste for myself. (Research ya know.) Anyway, it definitely has the flavor of the sea. Yep, just like swallowing a wave. However, while I was expecting that the flavor was the result of just the pure flavor of the ocean water from whence it came, I was surprised that this "Premium Natural Sea Salt" came with a list of ingredients on the back. In order: Natural Pacific Sea Salt, Premium Baked Hawaiian Alaea (that's red volcanic clay), and Hawaii Kai Ocean Essence (has a trademark symbol after it). This "essence" is further broken down as containing ocean electrolytes, trace minerals and elements. That being said, I do like to sprinkle it on oven baked french fries...and I would love to see the labels on some of these other "foofy" salts. Wed Oct 03 05:58:54 -0700 2007 2994552 57199 clamscasino 2 2999555 Heck, $4 a 1/2 pound is not even so bad, it's the Williams Sonoma $14 for 3 ounces in a cutsie jar that sets off my foof radar. Wed Oct 03 07:34:23 -0700 2007 2999284 10169 StriperGuy 3 2999664 So many of Williams-Sonoma's food items are shockingly overpriced, so that doesn't surprise me. Foof radar should be on high when shopping at W-S. This is the smoked salt I use: http://saltworks.us/shop/product.asp?idProduct=161 It is $7 at my local Whole Foods, not $10.99... but you only need a tiny, tiny bit to get a lot of smoky, salty goodness into a dish. Wed Oct 03 08:00:59 -0700 2007 2999555 72401 jnstarla 2 3000380 i can't remember the last time i wasted money at w-s. do a little research & you can usually find a better deal somewhere else, no matter what the item may be. some gourmet salts do contain other ingredients [i.e. flavor enhancers], but people who buy them expect that. after all, i really don't think anyone who purchases 'citrus rosemary gray salt' believes that it was harvested from some rare, random patch of sand on the ocean floor that conveniently happened to be sprouting a rosemary plant and a lemon tree. the same goes for smoked salts...obviously they have to get that flavor from somewhere. but in this case [at least with the high-quality products], there aren't any 'flavorings' or other ingredients added directly to the salt. it is, in fact, smoked, over actual fire using real wood to achieve the smoky essence. the himalayan pink salt i always use is pure, raw salt, nothing else. i agree the stuff is pricey, and not for everyone's taste. but that's why we have OPTIONS. something for everyone...or if one so chooses, nothing at all. Wed Oct 03 11:06:59 -0700 2007 2999284 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 2999621 People that just buy it for the packaging better really enjoy that packaging. I wouldn't buy it unless I could sample a bit before hand. (ok, or unless it was a Hello Kitty salt container, but that's a whole other story) I really like my co-op - they have some salts in bulk, so I can buy a pinch and see if I like it. I also like those small partitioned containers that have about 4-8 different salts in it. Then it's not too much, and you also get a good range to try. Wed Oct 03 07:50:17 -0700 2007 2994552 47361 yumcha 2 3000316 that's how i started on this kick. the whole foods market in my old neighborhood [la jolla, ca] had a bulk gourmet salt display, so you could pick & choose small amounts of each one to try. unfortunately that's the only location where i've ever seen it offered that way...and now that i'm in l.a. i'm not driving a minimum of 2 hours just to buy salt! Wed Oct 03 10:51:52 -0700 2007 2999621 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 3000412 I think it differs by the varieties and I do feel beat on a couple of them that I have bought but one that was right on the money was a black hawaiian sea salt from WIlliams Sonoma. It was silly expensive but as a finishing salt (not to waste on cooking) on pastas, salads, and especially desserts with fruit and ice cream it really goes a long way and to me is worth it. Definitely hit or miss, but if you really are passionate about salt, I think these are worthwhile. Now if I could only buy some super powered garlic to go along with it. Wed Oct 03 11:12:31 -0700 2007 2994552 101707 yankeefan 1 3000426 Also wanted to mention that this reminded me of the chapter in one of Jeff Steingarten's books on this subject where they taste tested and chemically analyzed these "special" salts to see if there really was a difference. Great excerpt- I believe it was in his book "The Man Who Ate Everything" Wed Oct 03 11:14:55 -0700 2007 2994552 101707 yankeefan 2 3001436 I was thinking about that one too! It is actually in "It Must Have Been Something I Ate". (I know because I just finished it.) He concluded that the amounts of "different" minerals in most specialty salts were so minute that they couldn't be tasted. Wed Oct 03 14:56:53 -0700 2007 3000426 39776 Minnow 3 3003200 Really was great to read. Who do I kid, most of the stuff that I enjoy is psychological when it comes to food. If you bring me two dishes and dress one up and charge me more for one Ill probably be a sucker and like that one even though they may be the same exact thing. Is that the case when I have papaya and mango with almond butter and black hawaiian overpriced sea salt? maybe but I still think the texture and the taste bring a lot more to the table than if I sprikled it with regular salt and regular balsamic. I try not to be a food snob, but I get suckered into it sometimes. As far as beer goes, its the same thing. Just "working" on trying all beers in the land to train the ol taste buds. Somebodys gotta do it, right? Thu Oct 04 06:32:54 -0700 2007 3001436 101707 yankeefan 4 3004793 when it comes to beer there's a genuine difference in quality. seriously, if you did a blind tasting, i can only HOPE you'd recognize a difference between [for argument's sake] pabst blue ribbon and grolsch! Thu Oct 04 12:28:49 -0700 2007 3003200 103920 goodhealthgourmet 5 3005919 Thats a bold comparison! I agree, but you get my point. If you offered me two quality cherry lambics and asked me to distinguish which came from what brewery, that would be more than what I was thinking. Thu Oct 04 17:53:31 -0700 2007 3004793 101707 yankeefan 6 3006380 well like i said, it was only for argument's sake :) i do understand your point...it reminds me of the old coke/pepsi and sprite/7-up debates. but in those cases, there ARE very distinct differences in flavors...and i'm convinced that anyone who can't detect the discrepancies must be non-tasters. Thu Oct 04 20:42:55 -0700 2007 3005919 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 3002235 When you need a little snackie-poo- try a great whole grain toast with whatever nut butter you're using ( I like cashew or, most especially TJs sunflower butter which another TJs customer recently turned me onto). Before taking that first yummy bite, try a sprinkle of big, curnchy sea salt over it. It will be great--and may make it hard not to have nut butters with sea salt again. The more savory the salt the better (adds to that whole sweet/salty factor). For instance- I was given a giant jar of salt for grinding--it has rosemary, various peppercorns and more amongst these giant salt chunks. That's what I'm now putting on my occasinal openfaced treats--without grinding it, makes for quite the crunch!! Really great! BTW--I don't pay a lot for salt. I did however, make an exception for (relatively) tiny bags of French Sea Salt while in Paris last June. I bought some while there, used it on foie gras (OH my!!) and returned for more as gifties for folks back home. The price point/froofiness/faddishness/actual tasty goodness quotient is all relative! Wed Oct 03 19:07:36 -0700 2007 2994552 18253 SeaSide Tomato 1 3006084 I LOVE this topic! I will actually call myself a salt collector. I buy salt from other areas of the world, including America (different states), France and Italy and Spain (again, many different kinds from other areas), Korea, Japan, Australia, India, China, Taiwan, Hawaii, England, etc. Obviously there are a few that have very distinctive tastes. For instant, the Algae Red salt from Hawaii and the black salt from India. However, the most important distinctions I found among different types of salt are 1) the texture 2) the consistency. Because salts from different places are shaped quite differently, they can create different textural "feel" to your tongue. Of course I am not talking about using them to cook because the salt is going to melt and it won't make a noticeable difference (other than iodized salt really tasted bad compared to sea salt). But for the final touches of a dishes (and desserts!), it can actually create some contrast to the rest of the ingredients. Malton salt is often used because of that. The shape of the salt crystals also make the salt somewhat "saltier" or "lighter" because the larger the surface area of the salt crystals, the more areas you tongue will have contact with the crystals, and hence the first "touch" may be saltier. The consistency is also another thing to notice. My go-to everyday salt is from Japan, but even Japanese salt from different places can be different - some are "stickier" and the salt crystals are packed together when pouring out, while other ones can be very loose with each crystal not sticking to one another. I use the latter for cooking because I can control the amount of salt more easily. Last but not least, I also buy salts with flavors. By that I don't mean salts mixed with spices like rosemary or fennel (for the salt mixes, I actually mix my own :D). I mean the salt that is infused with certain flavors. So it is still salt crystals without physical pieces of other ingredients, but the salt itself hs more than just savory flavor. I have found great green tea sea salt, citrus (yuzu) sea salt, curry sea salt, plum (Japanese) sea salt, shiso sea salt, seaweed sea salt, charcoal sea salt (it is actually black!), smoked sea salt. My truffle salt does have some small truffle pieces in it. I bought some saffron sea salt in the past but found it to be very artificial, so I am going to keep searching! Thu Oct 04 18:55:10 -0700 2007 2994552 54254 kobetobiko 2 3007346 Boy, the more I read, the more I stand corrected. Some of you really do take your salt that seriously. I can get that way with honey, and wine. Fri Oct 05 08:11:08 -0700 2007 3006084 10169 StriperGuy 1 3021422 When in France in 2003, I bought a pound of sel gris from the supermarche for a great price. Ran out last year, so I went looking for more. I discovered that the super cheap gray salt from Korea I found in the International aisle was much more briny tasting than the sel gris, despite the similar appearance. Wed Oct 10 09:16:35 -0700 2007 2994552 12752 MsDiPesto