Which is better s alt - coarse or fine?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Today's article is dedicated to s alt. Large or small - it is a must-have in any kitchen cabinet. S alt gives a brighter taste even to those products in which, it would seem, it does not belong. When baking very sweet desserts, it is recommended to add a pinch to the base. Fine or coarse s alt - in this case it does not make much difference, because the crystals dissolve in the liquid included in the dough. And the preparation of any other dish is not at all without the addition of these s alty crystals. There are several types of s alt, and in order to answer the question about the benefits of one or another of its grinding, grade and purpose, let's start from the very beginning.

Division into species

There are three types of s alt: fodder, technical and cooking. It belongs to these types due to the presence of the required percentage of NaCl (sodium chloride). If the value of this element reaches less than 97%, s alt (large or small - it does not matter) does not have the right to be considered edible. In this case, the pure product is transferred to the categoryfodder, and s alt, in which, in addition to an insufficient percentage of sodium chloride, there are many trace compounds (impurities), they are completely transferred to the ranks of technical.

GOST rules

GOST in our country allows only four types of s alt to be served. Stone, vyvarochnaya, garden (it is also sea). There is also self-planting s alt, which is also lake s alt. These four species appear in our kitchen. The difference between these species is not only in the method of their extraction or chemical composition.

S alt flavor

It would seem - what kind of taste is there? S alt, as they say, remains s alty even in Africa. However, upon closer examination of the issue, nuances can be noticed. In addition to the fact that there is coarse or very finely ground s alt, tastes also vary significantly. Their shades will be different to the extent that the percentage of sodium chloride in the chemical composition of the s alt will be different. Let's take a boiled water sample - it contains all one hundred percent sodium chloride. It is for this reason that the taste will be bright-s alty, sharp. Himalayan red s alt contains only 86% sodium chloride. If you put a few crystals on your tongue, you can understand that the taste of such s alt has a barely noticeable sourness, in general, more delicate and subtle. Yes, GOST does not consider such s alt worthy for use in the kitchen, but you can use it.

Which s alt is he althier - coarse or fine?

This nuance will also depend on where the s alt is collected. Stone - collected in s alt mines, being cleaned from various impurities unsuitable for food. Grind hermay be larger or smaller.

Coarse sea s alt - obtained by digestion. Large crystals remain on the surface and, after collection, are sent to packaging to arrive at your table. This type can also be subjected to finer grinding.

Now it becomes clear: based on the appearance of grinding, one can never say with accuracy, for example, coarse s alt, that it is useful because it has large crystals.

From the bowels of the sea

We will look for the benefit in the method and place of production. For example, sea s alt. We pay attention to the appearance. Large edible sea s alt is what we need if we are looking for benefits. Inside each crystal is the natural iodine that is missing for the average citizen of our country. It is believed that the crystals retain not only calcium and magnesium (in addition to iodine), but also a certain amount of moisture.

Ground sea s alt is also useful, although not coarse. But its benefits are significantly inferior in terms of indicators issued by s alt crystals without grinding. It is assumed that when grinding, part of the iodine and moisture evaporates and leaves the s alt.

From the depths of the earth

Rock s alt is often fortified with iodine. This is due to the total lack of this element in the bodies of citizens living in most of the territory of our country. S alt crystals enriched in this way are considered useful, but not more useful than sea s alt. And after nine months of storage, iodine-fortified foods alt (large or small - it doesn’t matter) becomes non-iodized. This element evaporates without a trace, leaving the usual s alt, quite suitable for further use. However, such benefits as from iodized are no longer worth waiting for.

Food grade sodium chloride (s alt)

In total, the following grades of s alt are allowed for sale: extra, highest, first, second. Who is who - now let's figure it out.

• "Extra". Grind number No. 0. The proud name is snow-white s alt of very fine grinding. The variety is very free-flowing and is excellent for filling s alt shakers for s alting dishes. Small grains (0.8 mm) leave the container without interference and fall where it was intended. S alt is good for everyone, but it has one significant disadvantage: specialized chemicals that help maintain excellent flowability. Doubt about the usefulness of this product also creeps in from the fact that microscopic polished crystals have a too noble, white color.
• Top grade. White grains are slightly larger than the "Extra" variety. The particles have a crystal caliber of up to 1.2 mm. The packaging may indicate - grinding number 1.
• First grade. S alt is slightly darker, has a grayish tint of varying severity. The presence of a certain proportion of other minerals along with sodium chloride is acceptable. The first grade has a caliber of grains from 2.5 mm. A small percentage is an indicator of 4 millimeters. This is grind number 2.
• The second grade of s alt. It has the main features: color, composition and taste, like the first one, but s alt granules inthe vast majority with a diameter of 4 millimeters. A significant part of the crystals may differ in a larger size. The share of such grains reaches 15% of the total mass. It is believed that this coarse s alt for s alting cabbage is a great option. No wonder it goes on sale under the heading "S alting". The variety is usually not subjected to additional iodization. They also buy this coarse s alt for s alting fish. The size of the granules allows you to evenly process the entire s alting surface of the fish carcass. The composition of s alt grains is very close to the composition of natural, and it is generally accepted that the second grade is more useful than, say, the same "Extra".

More s alt?

What other s alt exists that benefits a person? Take, for example, the Himalayan aforementioned in the article. It has a pink tint. It is located in the deep layers, where once there were s alty seas. GOST does not agree that s alt can be considered complete. But this product has its fans. Pink s alt is called more useful than ordinary sea s alt. What is the secret of its usefulness? And the whole point is the moment when this s alt rock was formed in the bowels of the planet, the world has not yet known man-made disasters and other similar factors. However, skeptics tend to believe that all s alt was formed at the same time as Himalayan s alt.

Indian s alt - sanchal

Did you think that India became famous only for its tea and movies? No. These Indian crystals are close relatives of Himalayan pink s alt. On closer inspectionit is not at all clear where the name comes from: free-flowing crystals have a subtle pinkish tint. But it is worth saturating a handful of moisture, as the mineral confirms its name: it darkens. The composition contains magnesium, hydrogen sulfide and iron sulfide. Connoisseurs will tell another secret in the name of sanchal: when the mineral is mined, large pieces of it, indeed, have a dark color, closer to black. And only grinding makes sanchal lighter. Such s alt is useful for people with heart disease because of its peculiarity - it does not contribute to an increase in sodium levels in the human body. Those who suffer from excessive puffiness can also use this mineral in their menu. However, s alting food during cooking is undesirable. S alt dissolves, but the impurities contained in it, due to chemical reactions, easily precipitate. For the same reason, you should not use it for s alting and preservation.

Sea with additives

In itself, a mineral food supplement is considered useful if it is called marine. But even it can be significantly improved by diluting it with some natural ingredients. Dill, lemon peel, garlic and other spices increase the usefulness and quality of s alt. But adding sea s alt (any grinding) to food is better just before you start tasting the dish. Only in this way can you save all the benefits of sea crystals of the mineral.

Determining

After we learned something about s alt, its extraction methods, varieties and types, the question of which s alt is better remained open. Let's try to fix the mistakeand remember the main axioms:

• The most useful s alt is sea s alt. Give preference to large particles, collected and not ground.
• Sea s alt is not finely ground, with the addition of useful spices and herbs, used only as an addition to food (not during cooking) - much he althier, and therefore better.
• Sanchal (Indian black) - regardless of grinding, it is useful for people prone to puffiness and cores.
• Ordinary pickling - much better in terms of benefits than the polished and noble-looking "Extra".
• If you need s alt for s alting cabbage or fish - we take non-iodized food, coarse grinding.

As it becomes clear: for each case, there is a better type and grade of this essential mineral. In order for s alt crystals to bring only benefits, adhere to the established norms. In order not to harm he alth, it is permissible for an adult to consume no more than 3.3 grams per day. This rate without the use of weights is about half a teaspoon.