Contents

• Traditional table salt – the most popular
• rock salt
• Sea salt
• Pink Himalayan salt
• Namak Salt
• Which salt is best for daily use?

Without it, dishes would be tasteless, and some foods, especially meat, would spoil too quickly. Because we talk about it, everyday life is hard to imagine. We use it every day, even if we don't realize it. It's in almost every food and certainly in every dish and snack, even the sweet ones. Everyone knows that excess is harmful to our health—it can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney disease. However, it's also necessary for the proper functioning of our bodies. The sodium it contains supports, among other things, proper muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and the regulation of water and acid-base balance. Nowadays, we can find at least several types of salt on store shelves, even those from the farthest corners of the world. Let's look at some of the most popular.

Traditional table salt – the most popular

The most popular salt in Poland, found daily in our kitchens and dishes, is table salt, also known as brewed salt. It is obtained by evaporating water from brines. This produces fine, white salt that is chemically purified and therefore free of valuable minerals. Table salt contains 40% sodium and an anti-caking agent (usually marked with the symbol E536), which prevents the formation of lumps. Based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Health, table salt is iodized to prevent hypothyroidism.

rock salt

Rock salt is richer in minerals than table salt. It is not purified, but merely crushed and ground. It is extracted in lumps from natural deposits in mines. Its crystals are not as fine as those of table salt. It is either fine-grained or coarse-grained. Although it can be slightly contaminated, it is always better to choose rock salt over evaporated salt because it contains minerals such as potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese , magnesium , and copper.

Sea salt

It is obtained through the natural process of evaporation of seawater. Sea salt contains less sodium than table salt. In addition to sodium, it also provides many valuable minerals such as zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iodine. Sea salt crystals are definitely thicker than evaporated salt. The flavor of sea salt is also more intense. To achieve a well-salted dish, we can therefore use less salt than when using table salt. The color of sea salt should not be pure white. If this is the case, it means it has been over-purified, thus removing valuable nutrients.

Pink Himalayan salt

Himalayan salt has finally established itself in Poland and is enjoying great popularity. It owes its characteristic, slightly pink color to the presence of iron. It is mined by hand from a depth of 500 meters in the eastern Karakoram belt of Pakistan. It is considered the purest salt in the world and also has the highest concentration of minerals. It contains over 80 valuable minerals, including iodine, magnesium, iron, fluorine, nitrogen, manganese, and bromine. Due to its properties, it is used not only in cooking but also in cosmetics.

Namak Salt

A new addition to the Polish market is Kala Namak – dark salt mined in places like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Its taste is quite distinctive, not only salty but also slightly bitter, which makes it a great addition to spicy Indian dishes. Its aroma and aftertaste are very pronounced, and some compare it to the smell of eggs. These distinctive features are due to the sodium sulfide content. During production, the salt is roasted at high temperatures, over 800 degrees Celsius, with the addition of charcoal, dried fruit, or bark. This salt is especially recommended for people suffering from digestive problems and heartburn.

Which salt is best for daily use?

Once you're familiar with the properties of the different salts available, it's definitely worth considering replacing your highly purified and virtually mineral-free table salt with another type of salt. Both rock and Himalayan salt are much better choices. Black salt can be used for select, specific dishes and delicacies. However, regardless of the type of salt you choose, it should be used in moderation. Modern diets, convenience foods, and commercially available snacks already contain excess sodium.