Kosher salt vs sea salt: the differences

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May 13, 2024

What’s the difference between these types of salt? Here’s a breakdown:
 

  • What is kosher salt? Kosher salt is a coarse, flat grained edible salt without additives. It consists mainly of sodium chloride. Where standard table salt is iodized, which adds a bitter aftertaste to foods, kosher salt is not. Its flavour is clean and straightforward, and it seasons food in a gentler way than table salt. Kosher salt is mined from underground salt deposits.
  • What is sea salt? Sea salt is made from drying salt water from the ocean or salt water lakes into crystals. Because it’s harvested from water, it has micro nutrients and other subtle flavors that aren’t present in kosher salt. You can buy sea salt in different sizes: flaky or chunky sea salt and fine sea salt.

Kosher salt vs sea salt: in cooking

When should you use each type of salt in cooking? Can you substitute one for the other? Here’s what to know:
 

  • In cooking, kosher salt and flaky sea salt can be used interchangeably. We recommend cooking with kosher salt because it is the most consistent. But you can use flaky sea salt in a recipe that calls for kosher salt! Note that a rough, chunky sea salt will have a crunchy texture if you use it raw, but it melds into the texture when you cook it. Because of that, sea salt is best as a finishing salt.
  • Flaky or rough sea salt is best used as a finishing salt because of its crunchy texture. It’s great for sprinkling over a salad or vegetables when you want to have a burst of salty flavour.
  • Fine sea salt is ground finer, so you have to adjust the quantities. Fine sea salt is ground very finely, much like table salt. It can be used as a kosher salt substitute, but you’ll need to consult the conversion chart below for the amount to use.

Source: A couple of Cooks