crunchy texture and a burst of flavor The flat crystals don’t pack together as compactly as cubic crystals, so a given volume measure of flake salt weighs less than the same measure of granulated salt Kosher Salt Kosher salt is salt used for the koshering process, the preparation of meats according to Jewish dietary laws (p 143) It comes in coarse particles, often flakes, and is sprinkled on the freshly butchered meat for the purpose of drawing out blood Because it’s meant to remove impurities, the salt itself is not iodized Many cooks like to use kosher salt in general cooking for its relative purity and ease of dispensing by hand Unrefined Sea Salt Unrefined sea salts are produced in the way that agricultural crops are: their beds are managed and tended, the salt is harvested when ready, and minimally processed The tending consists of a slow progressive concentration of the seawater, and can take as much as five years In most places the freshly harvested salt is washed of its surface impurities before drying Unrefined versions are not systematically washed of their coating of minor minerals, algae and a few salt-tolerant bacteria They therefore carry traces of magnesium chloride and sulfate and calcium sulfate, as well as particles of clay and other sediments that give the crystals a dull gray cast (unrefined French salts are called sel gris, “gray salt”) Because taste and aroma compounds are often detectable in minute concentrations, and these salts include both organic and mineral impurities, it’s possible that they would have a more complex flavor than refined salts, though that complexity would be overwhelmed by any food to which the salt is added Fleur de sel Fleur de sel, literally “flower of salt,” meaning the finest and most delicate, is ... bacteria They therefore carry traces of magnesium chloride and sulfate and calcium sulfate, as well as particles of clay and other sediments that give the crystals a dull gray cast (unrefined French... “gray salt”) Because taste and aroma compounds are often detectable in minute concentrations, and these salts include both organic and mineral impurities, it’s possible that they would have a more... In most places the freshly harvested salt is washed of its surface impurities before drying Unrefined versions are not systematically washed of their coating of minor minerals, algae and a few salt-tolerant