The Great Salt Taste Test

[Monkey Uncle]

OK, maybe that thread title is a little bombastic...

Yesterday several of us had a lively discussion about whether it makes a difference if you season your meat with a high-grade sea salt, Himalayan salt, etc., vs. just using plain old kosher or table salt (https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263984). I was firmly in the camp that it doesn't make a difference, but others were just as strong in their opinions that it does make a difference. There's only one way to settle this...a taste test. :icon_smile_tongue:

So today I cooked some chicken thighs and did a taste test comparing sea salt to kosher salt. Specifically, I compared my old stand-by, Morton kosher salt, to Hain sea salt.

O.K., stop laughing. I realize that Hain is the grande el cheapo of cheap sea salts. But it is made from evaporated sea water, so it should contain any trace minerals that were present in the water, which is the main selling point for sea salts. And it is supposed to be all natural. Most importantly, it's what I had on hand. Both the Hain sea salt and the Morton kosher salt contain an anti-caking additive, although they don't use the same additive. Neither salt is iodized, and neither manufacturer discloses any other additives.

All seasoning was applied by eye, i.e. no measuring, with each seasoning component sprinkled on one at a time (this is my usual method for seasoning meat for quick grilling). Aside from the salt, all thighs were also seasoned with fresh ground black pepper, ramp powder, and smoked ancho powder. Seasoning was applied about an hour before the thighs went on the grill. I usually like to season a few hours before, but time got away from me today. I grilled the thighs over medium high heat on the old gasser for about an hour.

My wife and I constituted the test subjects. I tried to make the test as blind as possible. My wife didn't know what the test was about; I just asked her to compare two chicken thighs. Of course I knew the subject of the test, but I had my wife feed me pieces from each of the two thighs while I had my eyes closed so I couldn't tell which one I was tasting.

So the results? I couldn't taste any difference, but my wife said the sea salt thigh had more flavor and was more tender. When I asked her to explain what she meant by more flavor, she said, "I don't know; saltier, I guess." Which makes sense, because the Hain sea salt is a smaller grain than kosher salt, so it is easy to apply more of it when you are eyeballing the application. Neither of us detected any distinctive flavor, better flavor, or worse flavor from either salt.

Based on this very rudimentary test, I'm still inclined to believe that it doesn't make much difference what salt you use on your meat. But obviously this is not a conclusive test given that (1) the sea salt was one of the cheapest ones out there, (2) there were only two tasters, and (3) one of those tasters knew the subject of the test and already had an opinion about it.

I'll be looking for more opportunities to test salts in the future, but in the meantime, I encourage you all to conduct your own salt taste tests comparing your favorite salt to plain old kosher and/or table salt, and then post the results in this thread. If you do a test, please keep the following in mind:

(1) Conduct a blind test. If the tasters know what they are tasting, the results may be biased and are not valid.

(2) Don't compare salts that have other seasonings mixed in. Of course those will taste different from plain kosher or table salt.

(3) Please be honest when you report your results!

O.K., here are a couple of pics, just because everyone loves pron. The sea salt thighs are on the left and the kosher salt thighs are on the right. See the difference? :wink:

 

[Smoking Piney]

I love salt, but I don't cook with much of it at all. It can be added on serving, and leaves those eating a choice on salt level.

As for cooking with it, I do, but I can't see any palate but a super taster detecting the differences in salt varieties that were exposed to cooking temperature.

I don't possess taste buds of that caliber.

 

[smoke ninja]

this is probably gonna be like the kbb off taste debate. most will say it's all the same and a minority will notice some difference.

I know my palate is way more sensitive than average but most cant taste subtly

 

[sudsandswine]

When I use salt to season meat before cooking, it's coarse kosher salt 95% of the time. After cooking, I have a variety to choose from - we handed these out as Christmas gifts a couple years back along with some vacuum sealed refills, I gave away most of it and still have enough to last me a good while (so no, I don't use THAT much salt, despite the pic).

I can taste the four back to back and detect minor flavor differences between them, some of it could be just granule size and texture. However the black Hawaiian salt definitely has a more carbon or earthy flavor to it. I like it a lot, but don't use it on lighter colored meats like chicken breasts because it does make some black streaks. My favorite is the "grey" French salt...I had to refill it anyway. As finishing salts I can tell slight differences between the variety, but I don't think I'd be able to using them as a pre-cook salt season.

 

[Joshw]

If you are talking unflavored salts, they are salt, and they taste like salt. Different brands require more or less when seasoning, depending on how refined they are. For instance I use purified salt in sausage making, and you use much less of it, than you would kosher salt. You will generally use more kosher salt, than you will table salt. IMO, the main difference is the coarseness of the salt. I find it easier to control, how much I am putting on, when I am using a coarser salt. I use Morton Kosher most of the time, for just salt. Another difference is that different salts, absorb or melt at different rates. You probably won't notice a difference if you salt hours a head of time, but when salting right before cooking, or using a finishing salt, if you use the wrong salt, you will get a a scenario where one bite is saltier than another, and it is inconsistent when eating. Another difference is the minerals in it. But if you are just looking to add a saltiness just pick a salt, and use it. If you change back and forth, it is hard to know how much to use.

 

[IamMadMan]

So the results? I couldn't taste any difference, but my wife said the sea salt thigh had more flavor and was more tender. When I asked her to explain what she meant by more flavor, she said, "I don't know; saltier, I guess." Which makes sense, because the Hain sea salt is a smaller grain than kosher salt, so it is easy to apply more of it when you are eyeballing the application. Neither of us detected any distinctive flavor, better flavor, or worse flavor from either salt.

Don't mean to create a debate here, but;


first you say "my wife said the sea salt thigh had more flavor and was more tender."

Then you say "Neither of us detected any distinctive flavor, better flavor, or worse flavor from either salt."

 

[SlickRockStones]

Objection your Honor. The the wife testified that the chicken tasted saltier.

 

[bschoen]

All salt is "sea" salt. Salt mines are from ancient (or not) sea beds. I would think that the coarseness of the crystals would present the different flavor profiles.

I like Diamond Crystal Kosher for cooking and San Francisco Salt Co. Alderwood Smoked Course for finishing.

 

[Monkey Uncle]

Don't mean to create a debate here, but;


first you say "my wife said the sea salt thigh had more flavor and was more tender."

Then you say "Neither of us detected any distinctive flavor, better flavor, or worse flavor from either salt."

When I say "distinctive," "better," and "worse," I am referring to quality of flavor. "More" flavor refers to amount of saltiness, which my wife clarified when I asked her the follow-up question about what she meant. My interpretation is that she was simply tasting more salt due to the way it was applied.

 

[Monkey Uncle]

Objection your Honor. The the wife testified that the chicken tasted saltier.

See above answer to Iammadman. I don't consider that a difference in the way the chicken tasted, other than it had more salt on it due to the smaller crystal size.

 

[food4thot]

Pardon me, but I'm a little confused.

In the other thread you said it didn't matter what salt you use. You did point out the different sizes of salt crystals.

For the "test" you performed you used a small crystal sea salt and large crystal kosher.

Why didn't you use regular table salt vs. the sea salt you chose so the crystal sizes were more comparable and "It doesn't make any difference what kind of salt you use"?

 

[SirPorkaLot]

All salt is "sea" salt. Salt mines are from ancient (or not) sea beds. I would think that the coarseness of the crystals would present the different flavor profiles.

I like Diamond Crystal Kosher for cooking and San Francisco Salt Co. Alderwood Smoked Course for finishing.

Easy there...

Not all Salt is equal. Heck, not even all Salt has sodium.


Mineral salts for example do not.

List Of Mineral Salts:
Sodium phosphates (food additive)
Potassium phosphates (Food additive, sodium substitute)
Calcium phosphates (Calcium salt)
Ammonium phosphates (fertilizer/bombs) very unstable
Magnesium phosphates (Epsom Salt)

Even regular salt is not equal.

Table salt is highly processed and contains 40% sodium (60% calcium)

Unrefined sea salt is typically 35-38% sodium, 60% calcium and 2-5% trace minerals

So in reality, table salt is “saltier” than sea salt.
The grain structure of some sea salts actually fool your taste receptors into tasting MORE salt (as per OPs test) though. This is due to more surface area on certain salts

The result?
You will actually use less (unrefined) sea salt to taste the same saltiness in your food when compared to table salt (or other refined salts)

So yes! Unrefined sea salt is healthier than table salt because consume less sodium.

 

[Tatanka]

It's funny you posted this just a few days after my wife turned me on to a better salt, one I'd never heard of: Celtic Salt. I haven't used it in Q yet (doing some steaks on Sunday and will try) but side-by-side vs. table, kosher, AND Himalayan it has a "deeper" flavor and is now my go-to salt for table use. I don't salt food a lot, but believe it to be nutritionally essential for humans, especially for minerals and trace minerals. My wife, who is very healthy nutrition oriented, got turned onto celtic salt because it has even more minerals and trace minerals than Himalayan salt. I like it because it tastes better!:biggrin1:

 

[Monkey Uncle]

Pardon me, but I'm a little confused.

In the other thread you said it didn't matter what salt you use. You did point out the different sizes of salt crystals.

For the "test" you performed you used a small crystal sea salt and large crystal kosher.

Why didn't you use regular table salt vs. the sea salt you chose so the crystal sizes were more comparable and "It doesn't make any difference what kind of salt you use"?

The kosher salt is what I normally use on meat before cooking it, so I wanted to compare the alternative (sea salt) to my normal salt. But rather than applying by sight, I probably should have measured out equal amounts by weight to control for the grain size variation. It would be interesting to compare sea salt to table salt also.

 

[Monkey Uncle]

Even regular salt is not equal.

Table salt is highly processed and contains 40% sodium (60% calcium)

Unrefined sea salt is typically 35-38% sodium, 60% calcium and 2-5% trace minerals

Can you link to any definitive information on this? I saw a web page on this subject that claimed anything sold as regular salt in the US is required to be something like 98% NaCl (don't remember the exact number, but it was in the high 90s). Not saying that web page is right and you're wrong, I just would like to see some reliable source information on the subject.

 

[TXNewbie]

Having tried MANY salts, there is only one salt I ever use on my steaks. I use it prior to cooking them to season, and then put a light layer on a finished steak (if needed, usually not).

All the people I cook with can totally tell if I use it or not, and actually request it by name - Maldon. It's the ONLY salt I will ever use on steaks.

I get it at Central Market (HEB) for half the price they sell it at Willliams Sonoma for.

 

[MountainMan]

Try some Sel Gris on a meat product and you will be convinced and understand.
I also have three or four other "sea salts" for cooking and finishing depending on the dish I'm cooking and serving.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

Can you link to any definitive information on this?

Have you checked the link in his signature?

He's in the salt business.

I'd pretty much take his word for it that he knows what his marketplace is.

 

[TXNewbie]

Have you checked the link in his signature?

He's in the salt business.

I'd pretty much take his word for it that he knows what his marketplace is.

Respectfully - being in the business doesn't mean much on any subject.

I was in the high-end audio business for many years. There were many people I was "in the business with" that simply could not hear differences between equipment and such. There were those that could. Doesn't mean there weren't differences. It just means some people didn't have the ear for it.

I'm sure it's the same with salt - yes there are many salts that don't really impart a differing flavor, and there are those that do. And there are those people who can detect the difference and those that can't.

 

[Smokey Lonesome]

....I was in the high-end audio business for many years. There were many people I was "in the business with" that simply could not hear differences between equipment and such. There were those that could. Doesn't mean there weren't differences. It just means some people didn't have the ear for it.

Totally agree and understand this reference. Audio Research vs Mark Levinson vs BAT vs. Cary, et. al. or differences among various cables. Golden Ears claim to hear while others could not.

Sea salts, or other salts containing more than only NaCL can have subtle taste differences. Anyone prefer K+ salts??

To me the differences are admittedly subtle and I may only notice them when they are used after cooking as a 'finishing' salt. Even then, probably on food which is not heavily seasoned with other spices which can easily overwhelm subtle differences in minerals beyond sodium chloride.

BTW, I am an Audio Research tube guy!