What is Kosher Salt?

Since thousands of centuries, salt has been a necessary ingredient in the human diet. Salts are necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system and they form an important nutrient of the body.

Sodium and calcium are the two main constituents of salts. Salts are obtained from the sea and the most familiar salt that we all use in our kitchens, is sodium chloride or the normal table salt.

The normal table salt is 99.99% sodium chloride, a crystalline compound found in the sea. Salts are obtained from the sea by the process of evaporation or are mined from the deposits left by oceans. The salt that we use in our kitchens is usually the mined salt.

There are different types of salts depending on their granular size and content. During the refining process, salts are added with certain additives like iodine or are added with ingredients that make them free-flowing. Iodine containing salts are used to cure goiter and are helpful in treating hypothyroidism.

Mostly, all salts are crushed into small grains that make up salt granules. Examples of fine grained salts include table salt, iodized salts, pickling salt, and popcorn salts. Kosher salt is a coarse (rough) grained salt, similar to rock salt.

Kosher salt has big crystals, with very large surface areas. The main difference between rock salt and kosher salt is that kosher salt is free from iodine. If you observe kosher salt under a microscope, you will find that is in the form of cubes, that are stacked one upon the other.

There is an interesting fact about how the kosher salt got its name! Basically, the name kosher is linked to kosher food, which is a part of the Jewish culture. According to rules in the Torah, presence of blood or blood stains in the meat of the animal is strictly not allowed.

Such foods are termed as kosher. In order to absorb all the blood from the meat, kosher salt is used; thanks to its large surface area, it helps in curing meats. Jewish people that follow 'Kashrut' (a set of Jewish dietary laws), abstain from consuming non-kosher food.

Since kosher salts are not refined and no additives are added to them, many chefs consider them to be a very pure form of salt. They use them for seasoning. The large size of this salt, makes its handling easier for the chefs. Also, it weighs 26% less than table salts. This means, you need to add more amount of kosher salt as compared to the table salt.

Kosher salt is used in cooking fish, edging margarita glasses, and in pickling of salts. It is also widely used in slaughter houses. It is easily available in departmental stores, and the ones with a 'U' or 'K' mark, are certified.