Salt of the Earth

Specialty Salts

Having had the health benefits of two types of salts touted to me, I decided to experiment. I’d heard a bit about sea salt and have used that for quite a while now, and read about a brand called Celtic sea salt, which I simply assumed was just as healthy as all the rest, just found around Ireland or one of the other Celtic countries, hence its different name.

Turns out it is something different, after all.  Turns out it is a brand of salt, and it comes from the coast of France.   (Breton region, I’d assume.  The Bretons are Celts.)

The other one that began popping up in my readings was pink Himalayan salt, which obviously derives from that mountain range.

So… when I was ordering up some other ingredients, I saw the supplier carried both Celtic sea salt and pink Himalayan salt, and ordered both.

Celtic sea salt:  Unlike, say, Trader Joe’s variety of sea salt, this is lightly grey.  It’s granular and somewhat moist — indeed they say best not to  store it in tightly sealed containers.  Well, heavy humidity is hitting this region of the country, and will do so all summer, so I’m not entirely going to comply during summer months, but.

Pink Himalayan salt:  this is a dry granular salt, a really attractive pink color, very distinct.

Both have additional minerals, hence the coloration.  Keep in mind that while they are mineral-rich, they may not provide enough iodine, which is added to ordinary purified table salt.  I do eat enough seafood that for my part I’m not worried.  I tried to find out information about the Himalayan — some websites say there’s about eight or ten additional minerals (besides sodium and chloride, which folks, is salt); another source declared there are hundreds.  Yeah, right.

Both are very good, and taste similar to this tastebud.  I think I’ll be doing my own cooking with one or the other from now on.  I bought a pound of each:  should last a while.

In the Pink

With my decreased reliance on packaged foods, I’m finding there are indeed things (besides generic potatoes) that I will salt.  I don’t salt:  ocean-going seafood except for Maine shrimp, omelets, fried eggs, chicken, salads, fruits.  I always have salted boiled eggs, potatoes (Yukon golds don’t need salt), and am learning to use small amounts with beef, goat or lamb; and with some roasted veggies.

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