14 minute read
Salt to Taste
The scoop on the most common seasoning that’s at the core of cooking
It may just sit in a shaker on your kitchen counter now, but throughout history cities have been built, empires have fallen and wars waged — all over the mineral we call salt.
Essential to preserving, preparing and flavouring our food, salt doesn’t just make food taste better — it also sustains life. Chemically, pure salt consists of sodium and chlorine, and as one of the essential nutrients for human health, sodium chloride helps our bodies and brains carry out biological processes. Simply put, we cannot live without salt.
Salt through the ages
Different cultures have always placed great importance on salt. In ancient Egypt, it was a part of religious offerings; Phoenicians traded salt all across their Mediterranean empire, and early Romans salted their greens and vegetables, giving rise to the word ‘salad.’ Even our word ‘salary’ is derived from salt.
Early explorers carried salt as an important trading commodity and
BY LYNDA SEA
historic salt routes sprung up all across Europe. In France, the salt tax (gabelle) was a big contributor to the French Revolution.
Currently, Canada is the fifth largest producer of salt worldwide. Vancouver Island Salt Co., started in 2008 by a former chef in Cobble Hill, is Canada’s first and largest harvester of sea salt.
Take it with a grain of salt
Salt is a condiment full of contradictions. Our bodies need it as much as we need air and water. It keeps the right balance of water in and around our cells and tissues, helps our nerves function properly and carries impulses to and from the brain. Without salt, our muscles wouldn’t contract, blood wouldn’t circulate, food wouldn’t be digested, nor our hearts pump.
Yet, no other compound has been the object of as many numerous health studies and vilified as much as salt. Policymakers have always made a point for people to eat less of it; the World Health Organization says high sodium consumption plays a part in high blood pressure and increases our risk of heart disease and stroke.
This so-called war on salt started in earnest in the late ‘70s when a study showed evidence that salt caused hypertension in rats. But more recently, new research shows the link between salt in your diet and heart disease is actually more tenuous than we think.
Adele Henderson is the owner of The Salt Cellar, a local Alberta company that sources and sells a variety of flavoured sea salts and seasoning blends. She agrees that there is still fear around salt if you have health issues, but she says the distinction must be made between sea salt and common iodized table salt.
“Table salt has been stripped of its good nutrients,” she says. “Our sea salts are all natural and not refined. Refined salts have bleach and iodine and anti-caking agents to prolong shelf-life and these elements are not things that can be absorbed into our bodies.”
Henderson says there are a lot of trace minerals in salt that our bodies need, and natural salts can help reduce fluid tension, balance electrolytes, digestion, and even aid upset stomachs.
Cooking with salt
When it comes to cooking and eating, salt is king. We’re hardwired to know when something is perfectly salted, too much or too little, from the immediate and undeniable slap to your
tastebuds of a perfectly seasoned bite, to that disappointing blandness of a flat, lacklustre mouthful if something is not salted enough.
In her New York Times bestselling cookbook, Salt Fat Heat Acid, author and chef, Samrin Nosrat, stresses the idea of not simply salting more, but better. Add the right amount of salt at the right moment and your dish will sing. She aptly writes, “I began to see that there was no better guide in the kitchen than thoughtful tasting, and that nothing was more important to taste thoughtfully for than salt.”
Henderson adds, “When we think of flavours of salt, it’s never salty. It’s only salty if you’ve used too much.”
Not all salts are created equal
Table salt is fine and dense and includes anti-caking agents so clumps don’t form. It has a distinct cubic shape and typically has iodine added to it. It’s quite salty in small amounts and can taste metallic.
Kosher salt has light hollow flakes and slightly larger crystals, making it ideal for drawing out moisture in meat. It doesn’t contain additives and is quite inexpensive, so it’s great for everyday cooking and adding to boiling water for pasta or vegetables. Common brands are Diamond Crystal and Morton.
Sea salt comes from evaporated seawater. It’s more textured, much flakier, and has a pyramid crystal shape. Fleur de sel and sel gris sea salts work best as finishing salts, sprinkled on grilled meats just prior to serving. The most recognizable brand Maldon, from England, is a favourite among chefs.
When The Salt Cellar’s long-time employee Corrine Carlson lists some of the sea salts the company sources for more than 21 different blends, it’s clear that, like wine, there’s an astounding array of sea salts, each with their own terrior, tastes and textures.
Carslon buzzes with excitement as she describes a grey sea salt from France (“the earthier flavour is great for making rubs or seasoning wild game”) and the red Alaea Hawaiian sea salt, a coarse salt that contains purified Alae clay (“it’s good to season meats with before cooking because it helps to retain juices.”)
“We also have a black Mediterranean sea salt [Cyprus Black Lava] that’s infused with activated charcoal from the lava of volcanoes, that has a mild taste and texture and that’s great for cooking, baking, and can replace soya sauce in recipes,” she says.
“There are so many versatile ways to use salt,” adds Carlson. “I use a chipotle salt in water as I boil potatoes for my potato salad and I will even use a lime habanero we sell as a cocktail rimmer, on chicken or fish.”
Salt is used in everything from curing and brining to blanching and seasoning. In baking bread and dough, salt acts as a control to the yeast activity, strengthening gluten. In preserving food, salt creates an environment where microorganisms cannot grow, which is ideal for making salt-cured fish and jerky. Added to boiling water, salt reduces your cooking time because it makes the water boil at a higher temperature.
Salt will always turn up the volume on our food’s flavours. It can even deepen the complexities of our desserts - just think of salted caramel ice cream or dark chocolate encrusted with salt, and how salt cuts into the sweetness but also seems to balance and enhance the flavours already there.
Learn to use salt well and your food will always taste good. Every decision you inevitably make about salt in the kitchen will amplify and deepen flavours, no matter what you are cooking.
Salty Pretzels Makes 12
2¼ tsp yeast powder 1/8 tsp fine sea salt 2 tsp sugar (for dough) 1 cup (240 mL) warm water 1 cup bread flour 2 cups all purpose flour 2 Tbs butter, softened 2-3 Tbs (30-45 mL) vegetable oil ¼ cup of baking soda 1½ Tbs sugar (for cooking water) 1 Tbs coarse sea salt 1 tsp water 1 egg, beaten
1. In a small bowl, stir yeast, fine sea salt, sugar and warm water until sugar dissolves. Let the mix stand until it gets frothy (typically less than 10 minutes). 2. In a separate large bowl, place flours and softened butter and rub butter into flour with fingers until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. 3. Gently pour the foamy yeast mixture over the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. When combined, gather up the dough and start kneading it on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until smooth. 4. Brush the insides of a large bowl with a light coating of vegetable oil. Add dough and flip it over so it’s coated with
the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise and double in size. This takes about an hour. Meanwhile, brush baking trays with oil. 5. When the dough has doubled, cut it into 12 pieces. Roll one piece into a long rope (45 cm). Make a U shape, bring the ends together and twist them twice to make a loop. Flip ends down to the base of loop and press into dough. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Place pretzels onto oiled baking tray and let them rise for 20 minutes. 6. Preheat oven to 425º F. Boil a large pot of water and add the baking soda and water. Lower pretzels into water (in batches) and cook for a few minutes on each side, until they puff up and have a slight sheen. Remove from water and let drain. 7. Combine the water with the egg, and brush pretzels with mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and bake until golden, around 15 minutes.
Lynda Sea is a freelance writer/editor based in Calgary. Her writing has appeared in Avenue, Westjet Magazine, enRoute, and Flare. You can often find her hiking in the Canadian Rockies and eating her way through Alberta.
Your safety is a priority at our 6-course Vine & Dine pairing dinners, so they are only available for around half the amount of people we would normally have. All our October evenings sold out, so let us know soonest if you’d like to join us this autumn! You’ll be seated only with the people you request in your booking, no other people will join your table. We’re continually adding new dates so please check our website regularly. Email linda@culinairemagazine.ca if you’d like to be included in our fortnightly updates to hear about events before the rest of the city.
For full details of events, to reserve your paired dinner packages, places at a Vine and Dine evening, or a private pairing dinner, visit
culinairemagazine.ca/events.
Vine & Dine Pairing Dinners at Shoe & Canoe November 13, 20, and 28 Our 6-course paired evenings at Shoe & Canoe sold out four times last year, so we’re excited to come back with a choice of three dates and another superb pairing menu in November! $81.75 ++
A One-Off Special Pairing Dinner with Live Classical Music, Asylum for Arts November 21. Enjoy a 6-course pairing menu at this one-off relaxing evening in the performance hall while we are entertained by live classical guitar music. Vegetarian, gluten-free. $88.50 ++ Vine & Dine Pairing Dinners at Flower & Wolf December 4, 12, and 18 We’re excited for Chef Cole Glendinning’s menu of beautifully executed, flavourful dishes, cooked with love and ingredients from local farmers. Choose one of the three very tasty nights at Flower & Wolf in our own private dining room. $81.75 ++
Vine & Dine Online Paired Dinner Packages Have you tried one of our online, multicourse, paired takeout dinner packages, with videos yet? These are restaurant meals from Calgary chefs to eat at home, with small format pairings for each course, and a video with stories to take you through the pairings and flavours. Contactless curbside pickup.
Menus and restaurants change regularly, so check out our November paired dinner packages from a variety of Calgary restaurants, and reserve yours now!
REDISCOVER KENSINGTON: Visit your favorite Kensington businesses and visit some wonderful new businesses too!
Kensington is one of the oldest shopping districts in Calgary and still retains much of the feel of a small village main street. Our walkable streets and compact loop layout mean your walkabout will bring you back to your starting point.
With about 250 shops, eateries, and services, Kensington has a lot to offer whether you are a local exploring your city or a tourist seeing the sights. Kensington is an easy walk or bike ride across the Louise Bridge from the west end of downtown or come by LRT (get off at Sunnyside).
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4 Offering over 42 made to order sandwiches, and over 200 homemade Italian products. If you’re looking for inspiration, advice, or just the comfort of simple Italian fare, we invite you to come on down to Peppino’s in Kensington, say “ciao” and let us help you take home a little piece of Italy!
Established in 1982, Higher Ground Cafe has been committed to promoting community and sustainability on a local and global scale. We guarantee all of our coffee is 100% organic, fair trade and rain forest alliance certified.
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22 Food enthusiasts of all sorts will love our array of fabulous cooking classes. Our gift certificates and gift boxes are perfect for those on your list with incredible taste (buds)! Cuisine et Chateau’s Interactive Culinary Centre, 403.764.2665 cuisineandchateau.com
Serving the UK and Irish communities of Calgary for 50 years! We have a large selection of Christmas sweeties and foods including advent calendars, selection boxes, puddings, crisps, chocolate, biscuits, and more! For more information, please visit us at kiltman.ca.
10 One of Calgary’s best kept secrets, just like those little hotspot jazz bars that only a few can seem to find. It is more than a wine/spirits/craft beer store, it is an experience... Organizing everything by styles, instead of by country/region, allows you to find your own style!
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8 Located next to Sunnyside Train Station. Large parking lot. We have a vast selection of wine, spirits, coolers and beer open Monday-Saturday 10am-10pm and Sunday 10am-9pm, Available for delivery on Designated Delivery and Skip The dishes. urbancellarsyyc.com
YYC ‘s Steakhouse of the year, six years running. We are also the only steak house to own its own prize-winning black angus bull with Benchmark Angus, located in Warner, Alberta. Born in Alberta, raised in Alberta, harvested in Alberta. That’s real Alberta beef!
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2 Not just your average neighbourhood liquor store. We have a huge selection of fresh craft beer, Exclusive Wines found nowhere else in Calgary, and Canada’s best selection of Scotch Whisky. Free citywide delivery for orders over $50. kensingtonwinemarket.com
Located in Kensington since 1989, we carry women’s clothing, accessories, footwear & Calgary’s largest designer denim selections! Our brands include Mother Denim, Paige, AG Jeans, Bella Dahl, Rails, Jenny Bird, & more. By appointment only. Call 403-283-3353 or message us on Instagram to book your time to come shop! @splashoffashion_
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Internationally experienced boutique PR company, offering custom tailored marketing, digital, social media, media relations, video production, events, strategy, and more.
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Enjoy Happy Hour
$8 wines by the glass $40 wines by the bottle
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Visit our Instagram for e-gift cards and promotions. $1 from each sale goes to Discovery House Family Violence Support Centre.
Book online at mvpmodernbarbers.com or call 403-270-9593
5 An independently owned teashop that was established in 2008. They are proud to offer a large collection of high-quality teas from around the world and be able to support local artists whose work can be found on their custom tea tin labels.
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You can enjoy true, authentic Napoletana Pizza at Pulcinella. From the flour we use to the toppings, all of our ingredients must be approved by governing bodies in Italy. We have gone to great lengths to bring you an authentic Napoletana pizza. Buon Appetito!
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16 Baking fresh daily pies in sweet and savoury varieties. Also offering frozen pies and soups for stocking your freezer! Find us in the Lido building and online: PieJunkie.ca and on Instagram @piejunkieyyc
Providing fresh, organic, local farm direct food to our community for 23 years. Come for a visit or check out our curbside pick up service. sunnysidemarket.ca, @sunnysidenaturalmarket.
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BODEGA MEXICAN RESTAURANT
We are a small traditional Mexican Restaurant located in the heart of Kensington since 2016 offering simple, delicious and affordable dishes like street Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas and more.
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Purveyor of beautifully unique, quality clothing since 1997. Locally owned, we aim to source sustainable, fashion from both Canada and beyond. Customer service is our passion, and we strive to create long term relationships with our clients and love to see you looking and feeling your best!
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TUESDAY - SATURDAY
OPEN NIGHTLY AT 5PM
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
