Kosher salt, why kosher???

Hi there, I am fascinated by the use of the concept of 'kosher salt’ that pops up in many American recipes. Why is it called kosher? Do you mean coarse sea salt?

Here in the Netherlands (I dare to say ‘Europe') we never use this preposition or only when there is a religious coherence.

So … what is the added value of the word?

Enlighten me! Thx!

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brian_martin2001

What is Kosher Salt? Kosher salt is characterized by its big crystals with large surface areas and its lack of additives, such as iodine. This size and shape allows it to absorb more moisture than other forms of salt, and this makes kosher salt excellent for curing meats. That is where the name comes from. The Jewish holy book, the Torah, prohibits consumption of any blood, which is why kosher meat must be slaughtered and prepared in a specific manner. A common way of removing the final traces of blood from meat is to soak and salt it. Because the taste sensation is distinct from ordinary table salt, some cooks prefer to use it in all their cooking. Like other coarse salts, kosher salt can be used in recipes that call for a salt crust. You can even use it to salt the edge of a margarita glass. Nutritionally speaking, kosher salt is no different than table salt, but does not provide iodine. Sea Salt Other Names: Sal Del Mar, Sel De Mer, Sale Marino Sea salt is a broad term that generally refers to unrefined salt derived directly from a living ocean or sea. It is harvested through channeling ocean water into large clay trays and allowing the sun and wind to evaporate it naturally. Manufacturers of sea salt typically do not refine sea salt as much as other kinds of salt, so it still contains traces of other minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and iodine. Proponents of sea salt rave about its bright, pure, clean flavor, and about the subtleties lent to it by these other trace minerals. Some of the most common sources for sea salt include the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean (particularly in France, on the coast of Brittany). SEA SALT IS THOUGHT TO BE HEALTHIER THAN TABLE SALT. Available in coarse, fine & extra fine grain size. Table Salt Table salt is the most common kind of salt found in the average kitchen. It usually comes from salt mines and once it's mined, it is refined and most minerals are removed from it until it is pure sodium chloride. Most table salt is available either plain or iodized. American salt manufacturers began iodizing salt in the 1920's, in cooperation with the government, after people in some parts of the country were found to be suffering from goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by an easily-preventable iodine deficiency. People require less than 225 micrograms of iodine a day. Seafood as well as sea salt contains iodine naturally and the supplement is unnecessary if there are sufficient quantities of either in one's diet. Note: Natural sea salt is a healthy replacement for ordinary table salt.

Source: https://www.chefsteps.com/ingredients/salt

Brandon_Byrd_40557

What Brian said. I'd also add that kosher salt has a dramatically different volume from table salt and fine sea salt; even different brands of kosher salt can differ enormously. This is why you should always weigh your salt. Diamond Crystal is the preferred brand of kosher salt for most professional cooks in the US, and is my preference as well. I used to use Morton, but the flakes are much larger and this makes it difficult to coat food evenly without oversalting; it also takes much longer to dissolve than DC's salt.

Matthew_Snyder_68770

I'm a Diamond Crystal guy, as well.

artstype

I would add that when finishing a dish at table with salt, large crystals have the additional value of adding less sodium by volume to food due to the fact of the large crystal structure, which weighs less per volume than refined table salts (this is why it is best to measure by weight in recipes). The large crystals have more air in between them than the small, hence lighter weight by volume and less sodium by volume.

fisher23

It is called Kosher Salt because it is the same salt used in Koshering meat. It has no real context to any religious coherence. It really is just a name of a particular larger grain of salt used to differentiate between the various other available types, i.e., table salt, sea salt, Malden Salt, etc... So if a recipe calls for kosher salt we know which salt to use.

Amos_Schorr_168815

And they can add some texture too!

Shirley_Brown_556235

Kosher salt is usually manufactured with a grain size larger than table salt grains. The traditional use of kosher salt is for removing surface blood from meat by desiccation, as part of the koshering process for meat.