Seasoning with salt

The value of salt was esteemed so highly in ancient times that the word “salary” is derived from “salt”. Salt or sodium chloride is the second most frequent food additive by weight. Salt was originally introduced into foods as a preservative; salting, or curing meat and fish was the only way to preserve food prior to refrigerators, freezers, or canning.

Salt in its most common form is a crystalline seasoning that may or may not be iodized and combined with an anticaking material. A variety of salts may be purchased including sea salt, rock salt, kosher salt, and a number of flavored salts, the most common being garlic, onion, and celery. There are also some expensive and rare sea salts known as fleur de sel and sel gris, used only in the finest restaurants.

Regardless of the type, salt should be added in small increments because of the potential to overwhelm the taste buds when too much is added. The preparer should also be aware that any liquid such as a sauce or soup that will be reduced should be only lightly salted, because the salt will become even more concentrated as the volume of the liquid diminishes.

Although removing excess salt is almost impossible, salty soup may be partially neutralized by adding a touch of sugar or by dropping in a raw, peeled potato to absorb some of the salt.