Monday, October 21, 2013

A Surprising Foodie Ingredient

A few weeks ago, I received two jars of salt in the mail to try from The San Francisco Salt Company. 

The first jar contained Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt.  When I opened up a jar of this salt, I thought about who this salt would perfect for. It's the perfect gift for someone who loves the smell of a charcoal or wood smoke BBQ, but can't have a BBQ because of where they live. Twenty years ago, I went to Australia for six months. I remember longing for American candies that I couldn't purchase while I was there (even though I hadn't eaten them while in the US). As for the flavor, When I opened up this jar, I was amazed. I felt like my husband was barbequeing over a charcoal campfire or a Weber with wood added to give it a smokey smell. Instead, you can cook on the stove, sprinkle a little of this salt over your food (while it's cooking or afterwards), and taste the smokey flavor that comes with barbequed meat, chicken, or vegetables. The aroma of this salt is delicious. It was amazing! The salt is a fine grain and the shaker sprinkles nicely over a dish of vegetables or meat. If you're looking for a special gift for a foodie, I'd definitely share this salt. 

If it's for you and the presentation isn't your first priority (and the salt is), then I'd purchase the bag. If it is a gift for a friend, I'd opt for the specially packaged jar that is a bit more expensive. 

This is definitely something that I'm going to be recommending to every foodie I know!  It's one of those gifts that you give someone who loves to cook and is tricky to buy for.   

The second salt we tried was the Pink Himalayan Sea Salt. My sister in laws enjoy this salt and  my mother in law actually bought some for one of her granddaughters who loves the color pink.  This salt is very delicate and flavorful.  It is a fine grain, but not as fine as table salt.  I think the flavor of this salt is best when used at the table for your salt shaker rather than mixed into food when cooking. Over eggs, on french fries, over roasted asparagus... 

Neither of these salts contain iodine, which is needed by our bodies so they are best used in combination with iodized salt in your cooking. These salts add wonderful flavor when added on top of food.  Iodized Table or Iodized Sea Salt can be added while cooking.  A century ago, goiter was a very common condition.  Iodizing salt pretty much rid us of this condition.  But, there has been a popular trend to replace iodized table salt with sea salt--which is usually not iodized.  Using a combination of both salts can allow us to enjoy both.  Here is a quick description from the Mayo Clinic's website about the difference between the two.  

The best prices are found directly on their website.  Currently, there's free shipping for purchases over $20.   If you enjoy the flavor of salt on your food and have a delicate palate, I would check into these salts.  They are less expensive per ounce when purchased in bags.  There are small sampler bags or larger bags sold by the pound.  

In comparison to other companies selling the same types of salt on Amazon, the prices on San Francisco Salt Company's website seem appropriate given the packaging and product.   

 Please note that I received complimentary samples of these two salts from the San Francisco Salt Company.

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