The salt you use matters.
And were not just talking table versus kosher.
It came in a little glass shaker in tiny granules and tasted slightly like metal.
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The purpose of salt was to make food taste salty.
Beyond that, salt and all it stood for held little value to me.
What was I so wrong about?
Multiple things, but the first being the presumption that all salt was the samenamely, iodized table salt.
What Is Kosher Salt?
Kosher salt gets its name from its historical use in koshering meatdrawing out blood according to Jewish dietary laws.
In a restaurant kitchen, youll never see salt poured from a box or bottle directly onto food.
Kosher salt doesnt contain iodine, like table salt does.
This clean flavor makes kosher salt the only choice for most seasoning purposes for the pros.
It helps you tactilely control how much you season your food and allows you to truly salt to taste.
It dissolves much more quickly than dense table salt.
The quicker your salt dissolves, the quicker youll know how seasoned your food is.
The flakes are light and airy, which makes it easy to grab a pinch and distribute evenly.
The softer, more delicate texture of Diamond Crystal makes it ideal for seasoning food directly with your hands.
Mortons kosher salt is made through a compaction process that forms smaller, denser crystals.
The grains are more uniform and harder than Diamond Crystal, which makes Morton feel coarser to the touch.
The structures of Diamond Crystal and Morton are night and day.
Diamond Crystal is like snow with its light, fluffy flakes.
Its crystalline structure makes it less salty by volume compared to Morton.
Its milder salinity profile allows for a gradual buildup of flavor, which is often preferred by professional chefs.
Morton kosher salt has denser crystals, which means it is saltier by volume.
Youve got to be feather-fingered when youre using Morton to season a dish.
Its easy to control and extremely forgiving.
Measure Morton carefully and use it conservatively.
Expert Tips for Using Kosher Salt
I wont lie to you.
If Ive got the choice between the two, Ill choose Diamond Crystal every time.
Its malleability and flavor are unmatched by any other salt on the market.
Its texture between my fingers is one of the most satisfying feelings I can think of.
That said, Diamond Crystal is noticeably harder to find in grocery stores (I order mine online).
That might make it less practical for you.
Youll have a much easier time finding Morton, and its not a bad choice.
