A Comprehensive Guide to Salt

I'm obsessed with salt. I have at least 10 different kinds in my pantry and I love to collect new types from spice shops. This is my full guide to all the different kinds of salt that I have used.

***note*** the images for this post are not my own, they are for reference purposes only and are stock photos

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Kosher Salt

Everyone should always have kosher salt in their pantry. It's so versatile, and creates pockets of flavor because the crystals are a little larger than table salt. I use it for literally everything that I cook.

Pairings: Everything

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Table Salt

Iodized table salt is cheap to manufacture and is easily accessible, which why it's so common in restaurants. However, I have a very strong dislike of table salt because it is so fine and tends to have a slightly metallic flavor. It is pretty much always better to use kosher salt.

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Salt Block

These are so cool! You can put a salt block on a grill and then cook your food directly on it to give your food a really good flavor. It also looks really pretty for serving food at parties. I love making seafood on a salt block. The only issue is that they're really heavy and a little difficult to store and a lot of people tend to forget they have them.

Pairings: seafood (ex. shrimp, salmon, and scallops), cold dishes (tartares, caprese, cured fish)

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Fleur de Sel

This salt is typically regarded as the fanciest salt money can buy. It is delicate and has a really smooth flavor and wonderful texture. It pairs especially well with chocolate and caramel for desserts, and it looks so pretty!

Pairings: Eggs, fish, sweets (rich chocolate, caramel, cookies)

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Sel Gris

Sel gris is very similar to fleur de sel but is harvested differently, giving it a darker color and altered mineral content.This salt has a higher moisture content than a lot of other salts and is pretty dense, making it a great finishing salt.

Pairings: Hearty warm foods (steak, root vegetables), sweets

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Turmeric Salt

Turmeric is a savory and warm spice with a vibrant yellow color. When paired with salt, it creates a lovely color that stands out against dark foods and pairs really well with other spices with similar warm flavor profiles. I think the color of this salt is what really makes it stand out.

Pairings: Warm foods with spices such as black pepper, cumin, and ginger

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Garlic/Herb Salt

Garlic and/or herb salt can be bought or made. Homemade flavored salt is really great because you can choose all the different herbs and spices that you add. This salt has so many variations and is so incredibly versatile.

Pairings: Fries, dips, breaded foods (nuggets, mozzarella sticks), whipped butters, chicken

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Truffle Salt

Truffle is such a unique and wonderful flavor. It's one of my favorite blends to add to appetizers. It's pretty overpowering, though, so make sure it is the primary flavor you want to come through.

Pairings: French fries, pasta (specifically pasta with a cream or butter based sauce), eggs, filet mignon

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Pink Himalayan/Hawaiian Salt

If you want to start with any kind of nontraditional salt, this is where you should begin. Pink salt has a high mineral content, so it is slightly better for you than other salts. It is beautiful as a garnish on any kind of food, but I especially like to use it on colder foods. This is a pretty mild flavored salt.

Pairings: Gazpacho, caprese, salads, grilled vegetables

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Red (Alaea) Salt

Red Hawaiian Alaea salt is such a fun salt. It has red clay infused into the salt as it is made, giving it a high mineral content and a gorgeous red color. This salt has a very rich flavor and is used in a lot of traditional Hawaiian cuisine. I love to use this one to mix up my dishes and add a pop of color.

Pairings: pork, poke, ribs, cooked white fish, scallops, cocktail rims, avocado toast

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Black Volcanic Salt

Black salt is typically mixed with activated (food-safe) charcoal. The flavor of this salt is completely unique (and absolutely delicious) because of this addition. It's such a cool salt and looks amazing on any meal. It really makes people admire their food.

Pairings: Tofu, summer vegetables (squash, tomatoes, peppers), eggs

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Flakey Salt

This is my favorite type of salt. It's light and melts in your mouth. Flakey salt is in little square shapes and so even though it doesn't have any color, it spreads across food as a garnish beautifully. This is the best finishing salt I have used because it has a balanced flavor and is just gorgeous spread over food. There is also a greater level of saltiness per flake in this salt as opposed to other similar ones.

Pairings: Grilled meats (steaks, chicken, pork, lamb), vegetables (asparagus, zucchini, squash), avocado toast, sweets (caramels, cookies)

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Smoked Salt

Smoked salt has many different variations depending on which brand you purchase or if you smoke your own, but it always has a lovely aroma and smooth rounded flavor. There are so many ways this salt can be used and is really good for dishes that already have a smokey flavor and don't need the bite of a more densely flavored salt.

Pairings: Smoked meats, cocktail rims, dry spice rubs, nuts, potatoes