Seasonings 101
Written by Chef Franklin
A seasoning is an ingredient used to intensify or improve the natural flavor of foods. When seasonings are used correctly, the flavor of the seasonings should not be noticeable. If seasoning is used incorrectly or in too great quantity, it can make an item inedible or unpleasant to eat. Seasoning should be done in moderation. Seasonings can always be added, but they cannot be removed. Common seasonings include salts, peppercorns, citrus, zests, vinegar, and oils.
Salts
Salt is the most widely used seasoning in the professional kitchen. Salt is a crystalline solid composed mainly of sodium chloride and is used as a seasoning and a preservative. It has a more intense taste flavor on cold foods than it does in hot foods. Salt also has the unique ability to make sweet items taste more full-bodied, sour items taste more pronounced, and bland items taste much more flavorful. Common varieties of salt include kosher salt, sea salt, specialty salt, pickling salt, and curing salt.
Kosher Salt:
Kosher salt is a salt used to cure, season, and prepare kosher foods. For example, kosher salt can be rubbed into meat to tenderize it and to draw water out of the meat. Kosher salt contains no iodine or anti-caking additives. It is lighter in weight than other salts and does not contain iodine or chemicals that give it a metallic taste.
Sea Salt:
Sea salt is a salt produced through the evaporation of seawater. Large, shallow reservoirs are filled with seawater. As the pans of seawater evaporate, a thick layer of crystallized sea salt is formed. The resulting sea salt is then raked from the salt beds. Sea salt contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium as well as the inherent characteristics of the environment where the body of water is located. These high concentrations of minerals give sea salt a more intense flavor. Sea salt is available in fine and coarse crystals and is used to cook and preserve food.
Frequently used sea salts include the following:
Alaea Hawaiian, Cyprus Flake, Flor Blanca, Sel Gris, Fleur de sel, Trapani
Pickling Salt:
Pickling salt, aka canning a salt is a pure form of salt that contains no residual dust, iodine, or other additives.
Curing Salt:
Curing Salt aka TCM is a pink mixture of table salt and sodium nitrate.
