Derived from the Khewra Salt Mine in the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan, Himalayan salt primarily comprises sodium chloride, supplemented by trace minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium that contribute to its pink hue. This salt deposit’s origins trace back millions of years when an ancient sea covering the area evaporated, leaving substantial salt accumulations. Over time, geological shifts and immense pressure transformed these deposits into the pristine Himalayan salt known today.

Culinary enthusiasts have increasingly embraced Himalayan salt blocks for their distinctive qualities and benefits that elevate cooking. Beyond their captivating visual appeal, these blocks ensure remarkable heat dispersion, reducing cooking durations. Additionally, an intriguing facet of cooking with these blocks is their capacity to prevent excessive saltiness in dishes.

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Let’s discuss these two benefits further.

HEAT DISTRIBUTION AND EFFICIENCY

Himalayan salt blocks, slabs, and plates have gained popularity among both chefs and home cooks, and for good reason. A notable application of Himalayan salt is optimizing heat distribution in cooking and baking.

Himalayan salt blocks exhibit exceptional heat distribution capabilities, setting them apart from conventional cookware. When heated, they effectively and evenly disperse heat across their entire surface, unlike traditional pans with potential hot spots. This even heat distribution ensures uniform cooking of your food.

These salt blocks feature a crystalline lattice structure mainly composed of sodium and chloride ions. As heat is applied, the ions gain energy and transmit it across the lattice, uniformly spreading thermal energy. This arrangement, coupled with the mineral-rich composition, establishes thermal equilibrium across the surface.

Consider searing a steak as an example of the heat distribution’s impact. Placing a thick steak on a preheated salt block allows even heat transfer, ensuring an evenly cooked steak with a seared crust and tender interior. No hot spots mean no worries about uneven cooking. Every bite becomes a perfectly cooked delight.

Using a Himalayan salt block for grilling vegetables guarantees uniform cooking, adding a delightful char while retaining crispness. In baking, the block’s consistent gentle heat ensures even rising and browning of delicate pastries, resulting in a golden, flaky crust.

PREVENTING DISHES FROM BECOMING SALTY

This intriguing benefit is attributed to the unique composition of Himalayan salt and the way it interacts with flavors during the cooking process.

The key factor that sets Himalayan salt apart is its lower sodium content compared to traditional table salt. While both salts contain sodium chloride, Himalayan salt also contains trace minerals. Various studies have found Himalayan salt to contain magnesium (146.78–11937.98 mg/kg), calcium (530.62–5736.73 mg/kg), and potassium (98.39–4528.89 mg/kg). These minerals contribute to a more nuanced and well-rounded flavor profile. When used in cooking, Himalayan salt disperses these minerals along with its sodium content. This results in a milder and less harsh salty taste.

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Additionally, the larger crystal structure of Himalayan salt means that less of it fits in a teaspoon compared to finely ground table salt. This means that when a recipe calls for a specific volume of salt, using Himalayan salt might result in less actual sodium being added to the dish. And yes, the coarser texture of Himalayan salt makes you incorporate less sodium in your dish.

In terms of weight, the sodium content in table salt and Himalayan pink salt remains identical. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a 1/4 teaspoon of standard table salt contains 581 milligrams of sodium, while an equal measure of Himalayan pink salt contains 388 milligrams of sodium. This could be advantageous for individuals looking to manage their sodium consumption, which is often linked to various health concerns, such as high blood pressure.

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Sodium chloride or simply salt is probably the most important food additive ever; the functions of salt apply to various food processes. But unlike how we know it today, its uses were very limited when it was first used in food. Our ancestors from 5000 years ago started using salt in food for 2 main reasons: to improve flavor and preserve for later use. The latter was especially important because they did not have access to technology that we normally enjoy now. While today, we simply store food in the refrigerator, our ancestors had to resort to other forms of preservation techniques such as salting, curing, and brining to store food for an extended period of time.

We have come a long way since then. Today, hundred years of research have led us to a better understanding of how salt works with food. We no longer add salt merely as a flavor enhancer and antimicrobial agent. Here are the 5 main functions of salt in food.

SALT ENHANCES FLAVOR

This maybe is a no-brainer, but salt is the universal flavor enhancer. It elevates the flavor of virtually every food that we consume— from meat to seafood. Specifically, vegetables that are not normally enjoyed by children taste better by just sprinkling salt. What makes salt special is that aside from adding and increasing the saltiness in food, it also enhances the other desirable flavors, particularly sweetness and savory or umami flavor.

How?

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In naturally sweet foods like baked products such as cookies and cakes, salt in low concentrations elevates the sweetness and adds depth to other flavors . Salt does this by suppressing the bitter taste and other undesirable tastes, all thanks to the sodium ions. This is why most recipes of sweet goodies always call for a pinch of salt.

At higher concentrations, salt may start to suppress the sweet taste. But such concentrations is ideal for savory foods. Special mention to naturally salty food that are rich in umami such as anchovies.

While salt can intensify the umami or savory taste, umami-containing compounds do not work the same way; they do not enhance the fruity, bland, or sweet taste in food.

SALT PRESERVES FOOD

Like I already mentioned, we have been using salt as a preservative for several thousand years now. So there is no wonder why salt has countless applications. Beef jerky, dried fish, bacon, dates, pickles, etc.

How does it work?

Water is one of the requirements for bacteria and other microorganisms to thrive. In order to preserve the food and extend its shelf life, water must be drawn out to a point where microorganisms can no longer use it for biological functions such as spore germination, toxin production, and more importantly, growth of microbial cells.

Water activity (a_w) is the simplest way to describe this. Water activity refers to the amount of free water (unbound), hence available for use, more specifically to support microbial growth.

Most food products have a water activity of 0.95. Generally, to prevent microbial activity, the water activity must be lowered down to at least 0.75. Although this largely depends on the food and the target microorganism. Some need more water, while others require less. A water activity of 0.85 inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria. While certain yeasts and molds can still thrive in an environment with a water activity of 0.75. Although they can no longer produce toxins to spoil the food.

By applying salt, water is drawn out through a process called osmosis. Osmosis occurs when there is a diffusion or movement of solvent (water) molecules across a semipermeable membrane from a region of lower concentration of solute (salt) to another of higher concentration. This equalizes the concentration on both sides of the membrane. As a result, the water activity lowers in the food, and the growth of microorganisms is inhibited.

SALT ENHANCES TEXTURE

In cheese, salt functions mainly as a preservative and flavor enhancer. Additionally, salt also aids in the development of the physical characteristics of cheeses— stretching, meltability, shredding, and flow. At proper salt concentrations, modification of the protein structure occurs to make a good rind of cheese. Some cheddar types of cheese with reduced amount of salt find trouble maintaining their shape as a result of softening. At low salt concentrations, non-starter lactic culture may activate, which contributes as well to cheese softening.

Salt also has a similar favorable effect on the texture of meats, generally. In processed meats such as sausages, the addition of salt makes the myofibrillar proteins (which are naturally insoluble in water alone) soluble. By combining salt with blending and tumbling, these salt-soluble proteins move toward the surface of the meat. This process is particularly useful in restructured meats, such as bologna and frankfurters. The salt-soluble proteins that have been extracted to the surface work as a glue—they keep the chopped or ground pieces of meat together as they form a gel network.

In baking, salt produces a binding effect by altering the protein structure, strengthening the gluten network. The gluten is the main protein responsible for the texture of the final product. The interaction with salt makes the gluten more capable of holding water and carbon dioxide. In return, the dough expands without ripping and tearing. Salt also reduces the stickiness of the dough, allowing more control during kneading.

In many baked products such as cookies, and cakes, popular leavening agents that are used to produce airy texture contain sodium. These include baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and baking powder (sodium bicarbonate combined with: sodium aluminum sulfate, potassium hydrogen tartrate, calcium acid phosphate or sodium acid pyrophosphate).

SALT IMPROVES COLOR

When it comes to the development of the appealing bright red color in processed meats, particularly cured ones such as hot dogs, salt is very underrated. What would first come to mind is nitrate or nitrite. When you look closer, it is actually a product of the teamwork of nitrate/nitrite, sugar and salt.

How?

When salt is added, the chlorine ions dissociate from NaCl. When this happens, the rate of conversion of nitrite to nitric oxide speeds up. In return, the development of the cured color in the meat accelerates.

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In breads, the presence of salt encourages enhanced color (golden crust) formation by increasing the rate of caramelization. Caramelization is a reaction in which the oxidation of carbohydrates (or sugars) at elevated temperature results in the development of brown color in food. This study proved that other salts, including potassium chloride (KCl), calcium dichloride (CaCl₂) and magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) can also significantly improve the color of baked products.

Another way salt enhances the color of bread is by controlling fermentation. The residual sugar in the dough is responsible for the browning of the crust. However, during fermentation, the yeasts consume sugar, turning it into carbon dioxide that is responsible for rising of bread. By adding salt at an appropriate amount (too little makes dough to rise faster, but too much may inhibit yeast activity), the yeast activity is controlled. Hence, there is less destruction of sugar, and the crust color development improves.

SALT PROVIDES ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

Salt is our main source of sodium, an essential nutrient. It helps control the bodily fluids; controls blood pressure and volume and maintains balance of minerals (electrolytes) and water. Like most of the nutrients we need, only a small amount of sodium is necessary for proper function. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the recommended daily intake for Americans is less than 2,300 mg per day or 1 teaspoon of table salt. Studies have shown that Americans consume sodium mosftly from prepackaged, processed foods, and restaurant. The same thing can be said for other parts of the world.

The most common form of table salt, particularly in the U.S., is iodized salt. Iodized salt is a product of food fortification which contains a significant amount of the element iodine. Its main purpose is to prevent iodine-deficiency. Globally, 2 billion people around the world is iodine-deficient.

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A low intake of iodine increases the risk of developing health illnesses such as goiter and problems with mental development, especially in young children. In fetuses and infants, iodine is essential for proper development of the skeletal and central nervous system. For most adults, the recommended daily intake of iodine is 150 μg, while 90 μg for children aged 1 to 8.

Do you know all these functions of salt in food? Which one did you find interesting? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

The post 5 Main Functions of Salt (Sodium Chloride) In Food appeared first on The Food Untold.