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Six exotic and nutritious salts and peppers
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Ten years ago the spice aisle at your grocery store offered you two kinds of salt, iodized or non-iodized, and two kinds of pepper, crushed black or red pepper flakes. Today the spice aisle looks a bit different. From sea to mineral to pink salt and from black to cubeb to green peppercorns, the options for these two kitchen staples have never been greater.
Unprocessed and unrefined salt and peppers not only contain a variety of minerals but their tastes, textures and uses vary widely. These specialized salts pack a bigger nutritional punch than your typical table salt; many exotic sea salts contain beneficial amounts of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
If you’re looking to experiment with these seasonings and move beyond your Morton salt shaker and McCormick pepper mill, here is a rundown of some of the tastiest kinds and how to use them.
Best salt to add to a salad: Himalayan Pink salt. A pricey salt, Himalayan pink salt is usually sold in chunks and grated on top of dishes like fresh salads.
Best salt to coat meat or use in jerky: Hawaiian Alaea Red Sea Salt. It contains a reddish clay and is used by some native Hawaiians for healing rituals and medicinal purposes. Hawaiian Alaea Red is great for a meat rub or as part of a jerky seasoning as this salt acts as an effective and tasty food preserver.
Best salt to keep at your table: Celtic Grey Salt. This salt actually comes from a pond rather than the sea, but its moist feel and all-around versatility makes this a great tableside condiment to add a pinch to broccoli or a mahi-mahi filet.
Best pepper to add to eggs: Black peppercorn. This easy-to-find favorite is a surefire way to add some extra spice to your morning omelet or hard-boiled egg.
Best pepper to season fish: White peppercorn. Not nearly as pungent as its black counterpart, the mild flavor makes it an excellent accompaniment to gently flavor up a delicate fish.
Best pepper to spice up a sweet dish: Pink or Peruvian peppercorn. While it may seem like a culinary mishap to add pepper to a sweet dish, the berry-like sweetness of pink peppercorns makes this pairing a true winner. Try it in a salad that contains pear slivers or orange segments or add it to a chutney.
Make sure to grind peppercorns and salt lumps only on an as-need basis as once they are ground, the seasonings tend to lose their flavor and potency after a few weeks. Look for these salt and peppers at your local gourmet market.
For more info:
Mark's Daily Apple - Pepper and Salt Varieties
Mark's Daily Apple - Pepper and Salt Varieties
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