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A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM THE SEA?

For something that's been around forever, sea salt has gotten rather trendy lately. But what is it, really? Actually, the term is misleading. All salt is sea salt. Salt only comes from two sources: seawater and inland deposits from ancient seas. That which is made from seawater can be labeled "sea salt," but it's frequently identical to table salt - both are more than 99% sodium chloride (plus various trace minerals).

The one distinction worth the premium price may be naturally evaporated sea salt, a designation that includes the popular sel gris and fleur de sel from France. These salts are evaporated by sun and wind, harvested, and sold without processing; they contain the minerals present in seawater. The Grain and Salt Society, for example, claims more than 80 trace minerals on the label of its Celtic Sea Salt. If you're paying more for sea salt, check the label to see how it's manufactured.

Whatever its source, sea salt is best used as a condiment. The crystals offer a pleasant crunch and the distinct flavor of the sea.

SALT VS. SODIUM

Taste and texture, not nutrition, are the main reasons to use the salt you prefer. Sodium can vary significantly, though; it ranges from 230 milligrams in 1/4 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt to 490 milligrams in Baleine Coarse Crystals Sea Salt. The same amount of kosher salt varies from 280 milligrams in Diamond Crystal to 480 in Norton; it's 580 milligrams in most iodized table salts.

It's all a matter of density: Some salts are fluffed so that the crystals contain more air; others are created as hollow pyramids to increase their flavor surfaces. Lower sodium generally indicates less density in the crystals, but it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with flavor.

That's for you to decide, and you may want to adjust accordingly the amount of salt used in these recipes. Just know that kosher and sea salts actually taste saltier than the same amount of table salt - so you get more flavor with less sodium.

WHAT ABOUT SALT AND YOUR HEALTH? The value of a lower-sodium diet in preventing or treating hypertension has been controversial. But a new study reaffirms the importance of restricting sodium, especially if your blood pressure is high or high-normal. Participants in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)-Sodium study with high (above 140/90) and high-normal (120/80 to 139/89) blood pressures lowered them significantly on a diet containing 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day - less than half of what the average American eats. Their diets were also high in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.

Experts aren't yet recommending that people with normal blood pressure go easy on salt, but this study indicates it may be of some benefit. Questions? Ask your doctor.

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Michele Anna Jordan is the author of the cookbook Salt & Pepper (Broadway Books, 1999).

SALT, SALT, SALT

 
It's not all the same. Salt comes in dozens of textures, colors, and tastes. In our recipes, we generally use the three most popular varieties - kosher, sea, and table (left to right, above). But you might be interested in some of the other choices you may have encountered.

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