Guide Note

Salt is a basic food staple and required to maintain a healthy body. Consumed in excess, however, salt can cause high blood pressure and dehydration and lead to a variety of health problems. Most processed foods contain above average levels of salt.

Fast Facts

1. Mostly sodium chloride
2. Most common seasoning in the world
3. Variations: Unrefined salt; sea salt; iodized salt, kosher salt
4. Overconsumption can lead to high blood pressure
5. Commonly offered in conjunction with pepper
6. Salt is harvested by mining rock salt and by evaporating seawater from the ocean
7. Salt increases boiling point and lowers freezing point of water
8. If you add too much salt to a dish, try adding a pinch of white or brown sugar to counteract
9. Salting meat preserves it without cooking
10. Used to decorate rims of margarita glasses
11. Recommended intake: Less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day

Recipes usually call for simple table salt, but many cooks prefer to use the larger crystals of kosher salt for cooking. Other more expensive "boutique" salts come from parts of the world like Hawaii and France and are sold in luxury cooking stores. Pink salt, smoked salt, fleur de sel, and black salt are some of the salts that can be found as part of this trend.