Maine Sea Salt Company
It appears that sea salt has come into vogue. Even the old standby, you know, the salt with the little girl carrying the umbrella? They have 2 kinds of sea salt available at the supermarket. One is from the South Pacific, and the other is from the Mediterranean. The South Pacific may come iodized.
What Makes Sea Salt Different?
Sea salt has trace minerals in it. These minerals along with the texture of the salt contribute to its flavor. Think of the difference between mineral water and evaporated purified water. The sea salt has character. It usually has some color, and definitely a little flavor. It is evaporated from actual sea water, and some of it is mined from a dried seabed.
Why is Salt Iodized
Iodine is a micronutrient and a dietary supplement. Most of the sea salt sold whether in the supermarket or health food stores is not iodized. Why is salt iodized? Because iodine is a supplement the body needs. Although we only need a very minute amount of iodine, without it the thyroid can’t function correctly. Iodine deficiency also leads to hampered intellectual development. So, should you buy iodized salt which contains traces of iodine to prevent iodine deficiency? It depends on your diet.
Is iodine deficiency still a problem? Iodine is naturally in fish. My daughter, after reading about the decline in sea life ceased eating anything from the ocean. A great sentiment, but kind of a bummer for the cook of the house (me) who likes fish, and now has one less main course to use in a repertoire that keeps shrinking. There is something insidious about the feedback loop between a parent who cooks and the vicissitudes of the children who eat (and sometimes added to it the spouse). The pattern goes like this – the cook starts out with many well liked items that get narrowed down until there are only a few things that all of the participants in this bizarre experiment will eat. If you’re concerned about iodine, of course ask your doctor, or pediatrician. If you want to have it as a supplement in your salt, there is a natural way. Maine Sea Salt Company sells a salt called Dulse Seaweed and Maine Sea Salt. Dulse is rich in trace minerals and Iodine. This is Maine Sea Salts’ version of Iodized Salt.
Maine Sea Salt
Salt as an Ingredient
Salt is crucial to the taste of things. It sounds obvious but many people defer to the “leave it out and let the diner add it”. I don’t agree. Seasoning is important to the taste, and the infusion of seasoning during the heating process. I think it’s been touted by many cooks that heating a dry seasoning brings out the seasonings flavor, increases its power. I agree with this. I also believe that a larger grain of salt works well and sea salt has a better flavor. One of my favorites is Maine Sea Salt. Their catchphrase is Artisan Sea Salts Seasoned by the Sun.
Sea Salt is salt evaporated from the sea, table salt may be evaporated from the sea or mined from an ancient dried sea bed. Table salt is processed to the same size crystal, completely uniform in the taste and appearance with other table salt. Sea Salt has texture, trace mineral content, and often color. Trace minerals are important because they react with sodium chloride and the function of the human body. Table Salt is white, trace minerals removed and anti-caking agents added.
