Premium Salt - The Gourmet Salts You Kneed To Know !

For most people salt is nothing more than what comes out of a shaker in a restaurant or what we can buy bulk in a cardboard box in the supermarket for 90 cents. The reality is that salt is so much more than that. To the great chefs, their salts are as important to their cooking as their knifes, the right pans and the best ingredients money can buy. And there is a whole unisverse of great salts out there. Not only do they serve different purposes but they also have a wide range of different falvors. Salt is not like salt. Here are my personal favorits amongst the premium salts. You should have at least some of these in your kitchen. Embark on this trip and you will find out what a treasure some of these salts really are.

Grey Sea Salt (fine) - Le Tresor Whole mineral sea salts from the prestigious salt ponds of Guérande France are completely natural and unrefined. This Grey Sea Salt is harvested using traditional Celtic methods. The beautiful grey color comes from the clay lined salt ponds that the seawater is evaporated in. The exceptional French clay in these ponds adds valuable minerals and nutrients to both the nutritional value and flavor of these fine salts. Le Trésor salts are never blended always 100% pure.

Bolivian Rose - Andes Mountain (fine) This incredible pink salt is hand harvested from the Andes Mountain range in Bolivia. Ancient sea salt deposits were covered with volcanic lava creating this high mineral salt and protecting it from pollution. The light rose and orange color of The Bolivian Rose makes it gorgeous when presented in a clear salt shaker or mill. This Salt is incredible over fresh pasta or bakend and boiled potatoes with a little butter.

Alaea - Hawaiian Red Sea Salt (fine) In ancinet times Hawaiians use Alaea salt in ceremonies to cleanse, purify and bless tools and canoes, as well, in healing rituals for medicinal purposes. Alaea Hawaiian Red Sea Salt is non-processed and rich in minerals. A small amount of harvested reddish Hawaiian clay (‘Alaea) enriches the salt with Iron-Oxide. Savor its unique flavor on roastet or grilled meats. This is the traditional and authentic seasoning for native Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua Pig, Hawaiian Jerky and Poke.

Salish - Alderwood Smoked (fine) This Pacific Sea Salt is slow smoked over real Alderwood, giving its it’s authentic, clean smoke flavor. Salish™ smoked sea salt is a 100 % natural and combines traditional Alderwood flavor with sea salt to create a most unique and beautiful spice to use in any of your favorite recipes. The name Salish™ comes from the Native American Indians- the first to inhabit the great Pacific Northwest. In fact Alderwood has been used to smoke salmon and other meats for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Sonoma Kosher Flake Salt Kosher Flake salt is a unique, pyramid shaped crystal with stair-step sides. The irregular crystals make this salt ideal for cooking and seasoning as well as an accent for refreshments that call for a salt-rimmed glass. Sonoma Flake is commonly used by spice blenders due to the increase surface area that improves adherence to food. Contains no additives. This is a true all-purpose salt.

Fleur De Sel - Le Tresor This salt is from the Guérande region of France and is certified Organic. This Fleur de Sel is hand harvested. Only on certain afternoons when weather conditions are just right, a lacy-white film forms on the top of the salt beds. This is the precious Fleur de Sel. It must be harvested on the same afternoon it is formed. It is very rare, but all you need is a few grains to transform any dish. I love it on anything cold - over fresh, ripe tomatoes, grilled vegetables, or salads. Any fish or meat; Just drizzled with a little olive oil and then sprinkled with a pinch of Fleur de Sel. This is truly the Best of the Best of French gourmet sea salts.

Kala Namak - Black Indian Salt This is an earth salt, not a sea salt, that is mined in central India. It is actually pinkish grey rather than black and has a very distinctiive sulfurous mineral taste, almost like hard boiled eggs. It is used in Indian cuisine as a condiment, added to chaats (fruit glazes), Indian fruit salads, chutneys, raitas (plain yogurt with cucumbers), tastey salads and savory deep-fried Indian snacks. Black salt goes well in vegetable dishes and with seafood. Chaat masala, a Indian spice blend, is dependent upon black salt, among other ingredients, for its characteristic aroma and flavor.

Murray River - Pink Salt Flakes These pink salt crystals are light and delicate peach colored flakes. They have a wonderfully mild flavor. The crystals melt quickly and evenly making Murray River flake salt ideal for finishing, roasting and baking. The Murray River is the biggest river in Australia. The source of its water are the Australian Mountains. The Murray-Darling Basin’s low rainfall and high evaporation have combined to concentrate salt in the groundwater. A red pigment - carotene - is secreted from the salt tolerant algae. The underground saline waters have been laying dormant for thousands of years and are now utilized to produce this beautiful salt.

Velvet De Guerande - Le Tresor This salt is light gray in color and almost the consistency of flour. This is a very delicate crystal that has a “buttery” feel and taste as it melts on your tongue. This is a terrific salt to top any dish. Its texture makes it ideal for popcorn, french fries or sauces and salads. It is one of my favorit finishing, or topping salts. Whatever comes out of the deep fryer and needs to be seasoned, will become just that much better with this salt.

Fumee de Sel - Le Tresor This is unlike any smoked sea salt available. This Fleur de Sel is cold smoked from chips made from seasoned French oak Chardonnay wine barrels, which for years have been used in the aging of fine wines. The five to seven year old barrels are hand selected for wood smoking chips. This unique smoked salt is hand made from start to finish. The crystals are smoked to a light toasty brown and have a deep smoke flavor without being bitter. The moist Fleur de Sel crystals readily absorb the natural smoked flavors of the oak and chardonnay. Top a piece of butter-poched King salmon with this salt and you will be wowed.

Himalayan - Pink Salt This pure, hand-mined salt is found naturally deep inside the pristine Himalayan Mountains. This sea salt is about 250 million year old, from the Jurassic era and is known for its healing properties. It is used by health professionals, spas and individuals to heal the body and relax the mind. For centuries, salts have been used as folk remedies for a variety of health issues. Stimulating circulation, lowering blood pressure and removing toxins such as heavy metals from the body are just a few of the many benefits of Himalayan Pink salt. It is incredible pure. I use this small grains to top rice dishes and potatoes.

Bali - Coconut and Lime Smoked Sea Salt This salt starts with tropical salt harvested from the Bali Sea. The beautiful geometric crystal that grinds easily and absorbs lots of flavor. Indigenous coconut and kaffir lime leaves are used to create a smoky salt with a bite of citrus. Try Bali - Coconut and Lime salt on halibut or prawns. I use it in all my Thai dishes.

Italian - Black Truffles Sea Salt This is Italian premium hand harvested sea salt mixed with luxurious dried Black truffles from the Abruzzi region of Italy. This aromatic and superbe truffle salt is adored by chefs and connoisseurs alike. Try this truffle salt over cooked egg dishes, butter tossed fresh pasta, on foie gras, or sprinkled on buttered popcorn and served with a glass of spumante! This is truly a “special occasion” condiment!

My Gourmet Brother Ferran Adria (currently the worlds best Chef) has a simple but nevertheless astonishing snack recipe that lets you experiance different salts like nothing else you have experianced before. Preheat your oven/broiler and position a rack about 8 inches from the heat. Cut a few slices of a baguette (or any other bread really), and spread them on a baking sheet and broil them until toatsted, about 30 seconds to a minute. Take them out, turn them over and set a few chunks of nice dark premium chocolate on each slice. Put them back in the oven and broil until the bread turns golden and the chocolate begins to melt, about another 30 seconds to a minute. Put these chocolate toast on a plate and drizzle them very lightly with a good olive oil. Then sprinkle them lightly with the premium salt of your choice (or even better use different salts for each toast) and serve right away. You will be surprised!