Wonderous Salt

Salt, an important vein of food, when added to food in the right way it can cause flavours to glow out and make your food satisfying and complete.

But, is that it? Have we ever wondered how this little wizard works its magic? This underrated but very important element of food doesn’t start and end on just a pinch to perfect taste.

To start with, saltpetre or salt is listed in history to be found by the Chinese in the 1st century but science has a different theory. Scientific theories say that the early human called Neanderthal once washed their animal flesh in sea water and it tasted good after cooking. A wise man then found the cause behind it and salt was discovered. But another theory about salt is that, as all living beings come from the ocean, there was always enough salt to meet the requirements of the living beings because it was present in the sea that surrounded their food sources. So according to the latter theory, there was no need to discover salt as it was always around.

The record of proper use of salt is dated back to 1450 B.C. when salt making was an artform, used for religious offerings, and also for trade between Phoenicians and Mediterraneans in Egypt. It came into general use in around 2700 B.C..

In the befallen eras, Salt was more of a currency than a food element in many countries. The soldiers in Rome were paid Salarium Argentum – a forerunner of the word ‘Salary’, in the kind of Salt. It was a valuable element in economy. In Italy, it was considered a luxury item. The importance and role of salt can be understood from following examples:

-China imposed taxes on salt.

-Greece traded slaves with salt.

-Salt was used for religious practices in UK.

-Tuzla a city in Turkey, named after tuz (Turkish for salt).

-Wars were fought for salt like the ‘San Elizario salt war’ in the 19th century over ownership and control of immense salt lakes in western America at El Paso, TX.

And all this was just over salt which was a difficult food item to obtain, then. It helped in withdrawing dependency on seasonal food items and preserved food, making it possible to carry food over distances on land and water. Hence, salt has always been a very important commodity.

Salt used in food:

It was recorded to be used in food in 6000 B.C.. It was harvested at lake Yuncheng in China.

At first salt was only used in preservation and seasoning of food. The Romans used to sprinkle salt over their leafy and green vegetables which gave rise to a word salad originating from salt. The roles and work of salt in food is variable. It is used for:

Seasoning: When we season our food with salt it increases and brings out the flavours present in the food. How does such a simple element make such a big difference? The water molecules present in food are prevented from diluting the flavours of the food by salt as it absorbs the H2O molecules and decreases extra moistness. This way it also absorbs the natural bitterness present eventually decreasing it.

Preservation: Salt prevents bacteria growth for a prolonged period of time as it is a natural preservative. Preservation is commonly done in 2 ways:

1.Dry curing (With granular form)

2.Modern curing (Brine solution)

Dry curing is done by applying salt granules on the outer surface of food items.

Modern curing includes salt brine. Salt brine dehydrates bacterial cells altering the osmotic pressure resulting in a standstill to bacterial growth and development. Brine is used for pickling; the most common example of brine is pickled cucumbers or gherkins.

Salt preserves by one fundamental method i.e. by interrupting the bacterial growth in food, be it dry curing or modern curing. Salt prevents growth of foodborne pathogens (clostridium botulinum) like salmonella which are responsible for causing food poisoning. It chips the DNA of these bacteria and absorbs the water molecules the bacteria live on.

Water molecules present in food are measured as product water activity which is 0.99 before dehydration in fresh food. Salt replaces its molecules with water molecules present in food till the balance scale of salt and water molecules inside and outside is on the same level (osmosis). This reduces the product water activity till 0.91 which is adequate to prevent bacterial growth and sometimes even up to 0.94.

Binding Agent: Salt is a taste enhancer but also a great binding agent. The way it works is quite astounding. Till now we have seen salt as a mere element. It binds breads, cured meat, etc. Salt works with protein by extracting myofibrillar protein which is found in meat products, by gelatinizing it resulting in holding the product together.

Texture Aid: The presence of salt makes a difference in the texture of the food product. Again, salt pairs up with protein strengthening gluten and binds the moisture in food stuffs such as bread and other baked products. Weak flours such as wheat, maize, rye can be strengthened by adding salt as it toughens gluten. Salt strengthens gluten as gluten has -ve charged molecules whereas salt has +vely charged sodium molecules. The -vely charged gluten molecules repel each other but get attracted to the +vely charged sodium molecules and form a strong bond. This makes strong gluten formation which is capable of holding a good amount of CO2 and H2O (moisture) allowing the dough to expand without tearing.

Salt makes handling the dough an easier process as it reduces stickiness due to its capacity of absorbing moisture. Flour hydrates faster if salt is added in a delayed manner.

Salt also contributes in formation of the hard rind and even consistency in cheese.

Colour Changing: Salt is an important element in obtaining an appropriate and pleasing colour in baked goods. It operates indirectly by affecting the level of sugar in the product.

Browning of the crust is a product of maillard reaction. This reaction is based on proteins, heat and moisture. The speed of this reaction leans in a directly proportion manner on the pH of the food product which is affected by the amount of sugar present.

The pace of fermentation is inversely proportionate to the amount of salt. Less salt will lead to a faster occurrence of fermentation due to yeast activity i.e. the yeast will metabolise more sugar in a given period of time resulting in more usage of sugar, leaving behind a very small amount of sugar in the dough. This lowers the pH of the dough (more acids form) and prevent this, salt is used as it controls the fermentation process, slowing it down due to which less sugar is used and more sugar is available; increasing the pH level by speeding up maillard reaction and causing desirable and pleasant browning or colour change on the crust.

Fermentation Control: A pinch of salt has the ability of controlling fermentation by performing osmosis with yeast through its semi permeable membrane equalising the amount of yeast cells and salt cells inside and outside of the yeast molecules. This process of osmosis results into the mixture to seem to liquefy, slowing down the fermentation rate. In this condition the yeast will metabolise a less amount of sugar maintaining a high pH in the fermented dough or batter.

How salt should be used in cooking:

We have noticed that a dish is always ’finished’ seasoning with salt or salt is added towards the end of making a dish.

The reason behind this small but important precaution is to prevent salt from withdrawing excess water molecules from the food elements in a dish and replacing them with salt molecules while cooking and resulting into making the dish very salty. Therefore, it is advised to not add salt at beginning of cooking a dish like stew, curry, sabzi, etc. as the salt migrates completely and thoroughly making a strong salty influence on the dish overall.

Types of salt

There are over 40 kinds of salt which include additional types under each kind, making it a vast spread of varieties. The types of salt range from the most commonly heard or used to the rare types. They are:

Table salt: First salt is mined out and then put in water for purification from other trace minerals then re-dehydrated. Then iodide is added to recover its loss during purification. Table salt is 99 to 97 % sodium and rest of it is anti-caking agents. Table salt is used to season your food to alter salt amount or sometimes just to finish certain dishes

Kosher salt (aka koshering salt): This type of salt is described as refined salt with larger crystals when compared to table salt. It has no iodide (do not confuse with iodine) or other additives. It is used to kosher meats i.e. to remove blood from meat. The salt is not named after the Jewish guidelines of consumption- kosher certified.

Sea salt: The name speaks for itself. This salt is extracted from evaporated sea water. It can vary in variety based on the region it is extracted from, the minerals found in it and method used to extract the salt. It can be used as a dish finisher and also as a dish builder. It is also used to coat an item to be baked to retain moisture.

Pink salt: It gets its pink hue by the iron oxide present in it. In India, we get it from Khewra salt mines in Punjab region of Pakistan. It is also most produced in Andes mountains of Bolivia. Pink salt is used occasionally in some dishes mostly preferred on steaks. Blocks of pink salt are also used as chopping boards and sometimes also serve as dishes.

Himalayan Black Salt: Known as ‘kala namak’ and officially called as black salt. It appears to be purple red in colour and when ground into a powder it has a pink colour. It gets its colour from greigite and it gets its smell from its sulphur content. Due to its smell it is sometimes added to vegan food to give an egg like smell. It is commonly used to enhance flavour in Indian chaat dishes, also used in food for fasting and even in chutneys.

Fleur de Sel: Also called as ‘Fiore di Cervia’in Italian. Both the names stand for “flower of salt” in French (then) and in Italian(later) as well. It is harvested on the Brittany Coast of France. This salt is obtained from the top layer of saltwater ponds as it starts to crystalize so it does not need to be crushed or ground. This salt is low in sodium and high in mineral. It has a light, briny flavour. Hence, it is more of a condiment than a seasoning. The only difference between the French version and Italian version is that the latter has less minerals than its French brother.

Sel gris (grey salt): Sel gris comes from the same place as that of the previous salt category. Only, it is harvested when the top layer crystalized layer of the saltwater pond settles at bottom giving it a grey colour and an abundant amount of minerals.

Sel gris, when ground between volcanic rocks, we obtain “sel gris-velvet” a ground version giving a buttery mouthfeel. Its taste and use lie somewhere between basic sea salt and fleur de sel.

Hawaiian Alaea Red Salt: This salt is product of the combination of Hawaiian sea salt with red volcanic clay alaea. It is brick red in colour and low in sodium but high in minerals.

It finds its use in Hawaiian dishes and religious ceremonies. The alaea clay brings detoxifying properties to the salt.

Hawaiian Black Salt: This salt is harvested in pools containing sea water on hardened lava floor. Then it is mixed with activated coconut charcoal for detoxification. An earthy flavour dwells in it along with sulphur aroma from the minerals due to the influence of the hardened lava floor pools.

Cyprus Black Lava Salt: A similar salt to the previous one except this salt comes from Cyprus island in the Mediterranean Sea in the east. It is harvested by evaporating water in a solar way. It has a mild salty flavour making it suitable to be used for finishing a dish.

Sea Salts:

• Balinese sea salt: Sea water is evaporated from flat rake of black sand. It is then filtered several times in coconut trunk vats. At reaching its briniest level it poured in a hollow tree trunk tube and evaporated for a final time.

• Croatian sea salt: It is harvested by evaporating Adriatic Sea water in Nin, Croatia.

• Dead Sea salt: as the name suggests it is obtained from the waters of the Dead Sea.

Rock salts:

• Persian Blue Salt: Extracted from the northern province of Semnan, Iran, it gets its blue colour due to high pressure during crystallization.

• Utah Salt: It is Obtained from an underground salt deposit in Utah, America.

• Yellowstone Salt: This salt is extracted from a subterranean salt deposit which is brought to surface by spring water and evaporation.

Other Types of Salt:

• Smoked Salt: this salt is flavoured by smoking it in wooden tube. The flavour infused in it varies according to the different woods used. It is used for finishing a dish. Woods such as oak, apple, cedar, hickory are used.

• Pickling Salt: Its texture is defined as fine grained and it is a non-iodised salt used for pickling food stuffs. It does not have anti-caking agents as it can turn pickles cloudy and does not contain iodine as it can darken the pickle.

• Kalahari Salt: it is obtained from the salt plains of Kalahari Desert of South Africa. It has no additives and it is sun dried before packing.

• Jugyeom: Jugyeom salt is baked bay salt, packed in bamboo stems. It is baked nine times on high temperature, making it a health product as all the impurities in this salt are removed during baking. Later it is neutralized by adding inorganic contents such as calcium, potassium, iron, copper, etc. making it a product with ion balance.

• Curing salt: It is mixture of table sat and sodium nitrite, used for curing meats i.e. to preserve it increasing its shelf life. This is done by pickling the meat. This salt also contributes as a colour enhancer as it gives the meat a reddish and pinkish hue.

Humble expensive salts:

1. Amethyst Bamboo 9x: The most expensive salt. It is preferred to be used on spicy foods and is even combined with other salts and used as a finishing as well as a seasoning salt. [$38.50 per 1.2 ounce jar]

2. Kamebishi Soy salt: This salt is infused with soy flavour. It replaces soy sauce on rice. [$17.25 per 1.2 ounce jar]

3. Black truffle salt (Tartufo Nero); This salt gives the flavour of truffles in your dish expelling the need to buy truffles specially. This salt has tiny bits of black truffles and is also available with white truffle bits and mixed truffles as well. [$16 per 1.2 ounce jar]

4. Iburi Jio Cherry Smoked Salt: It is smoked using cherry tree wood. It is recommended for foods like miso soups, squids, popcorn, bourbon, ice-cream sandwiches even.

5. Takesumi Bamboo: A salt that smells like charcoal and tastes the same.it is used for enhancing flavours of cod, raw oysters and to introduce meat like flavours in vegan food. [$13 per 2ounce jar]

Salt as medicine:

In western medicine, salt is demonized and advised to avoid salt as much as possible and take very small and limited amounts of salt due to the negative effects of salt on our body. It causes thickening of blood and narrows the blood vessels, eventually giving blood pressure problems, skin diseases, etc. However, people who believe in or follow western medicine sometimes exceed limits of avoiding salt in their daily consumption and develop deficiency of iodine and high blood pressure as their blood becomes thinner than it should be, along with other problems.

But the ayurvedic point of view towards salt is to take intake of salt up to a limit and it is an important element in Ayurveda. It is the key ingredient in several ayurvedic formulae such as hingavastak (a remedy to cure gastric and intestinal problems).

Ayurveda explains that salt balances vata (air).

The temperature or virya of salt is said to be of heating nature.

The qualities or gunas of salt are heavy, heating, oily.

Salt has its location or is tasted at the rear ends of the tongue.

This was the ayurvedic introduction of salt. Ayurveda also tells how salt affects our body. Salt affects issues such as plasma, blood, muscle, fat and nervous tissue.

Salt benefits by working as an anti-spasmodic, appetizer, expectorant (treating cough), anti-flatulent (prevention of excessive intestinal gas), moistening, laxative (evacuation of bowels).it promotes growth, strengthens muscles, maintains water electrolyte balance, soothes the nervous system. It also guards against tumours as it softens masses. It nourishes plasma (rasa dhatu).

Salt in excess can be addicting and it overshadows other flavours. Using salt in an exceeding way can cause sodium and water retention leading to vicious blood and thick walled and narrowed blood vessels. This leads to excess thirst, swelling and blood pressure. It also causes skin diseases, baldness, hair fall, wrinkles, grey hair, internal inflammation, bleeding disorders, hyperacidity, vomiting and even infertility.

Salts preferred in Ayurveda:

• Saindhava lavana: What we know as kala namak, has cooling properties and suitable for pittah. It can balance all the doshas when used appropriately and is also beneficial for cardiac health.

• Samudra lavana: We call it sea salt. It is not as cooling as the previous one but not very heating as well. When used moderately it aids digestion and also benefits to heart.

• Vida lavana: It is said to be an artificial salt made by burning karira wood and peelu wood, another scripture named “Rasa Tarangini”, says it is a mixture of romaka lavana and amalaki (amla or Indian gooseberry) which heated in closed chamber for six hours.

• Sauvarchala lavana: It is similar to saindhava lavana. This salt is placed in a ceramic jar with a bark of babul then the jar is heated ad cooled for 24 hours. It is light to digest and pungent in taste. It clears the channels of the body, improves digestion, benefits heart and clears throat.

• Romaka lavana: Sambar salt or romaka lavana is extracted from Sambar lake in Rajasthan. It is intensely heating and sharp. It is considered vyavayi which spreads rapidly in the body and helps to calm vata.

• Audibha lavana: It is an earthen salt prepared from a soil that is salty and alkaline. This heating and sharp salt has a burning and corrosive action while clearing the channels of the body and soothing vata.

Some medicinal facts about salt:

Salt can absorb moisture and help in healing wounds and reduce inflammation when used externally.

Iodide was added to salt for consumption for the first time in America in 1924 to prevent goitre-enlarged thyroid due to iodine deficiency.

Such are some wonders of the humble and common salt. Hope this article was enlightening enough to broaden your view towards salt, that there is a whole lot of science, mystery and a lot of hidden capacities in just a pinch; like a whole universe is wrapped in it and scattered over our food sadly just as salt-a taste enhancer.

"I will be seeing you again, with more articles about such underrated elements in our food army slowly proceeding one by one. I hope I succeed to enlighten you with stories of these elements wrapped in my articles coming further. See you and thank you for reading."