"David Hare-Scott" > wrote in
:

> I understand the concept of kosher food in the religious/cultural
> context, that is not the question. What I am curious about is the
> gastromonical effect of kosher salt.
>
> In what way is kosher salt different from (more or less) pure sodium
> chloride?
>
> Is the difference clearly noticable so that if a recipe specified
> kosher and you used standard cooking salt (or vice versa) that you
> would easily taste it?
>
> David
>
>
>

All the salts (NaCl) used for cooking by man aren't pure. There are other
trace minerals in them. This salt ain't made in a lab it is either mined or
made by evaporation methods. These trace minerals and any additives make
for taste differences.

Most if not all boxes of salt sold as "table salt" have iodine (sp??) in
them, as well as a good chance of some sort of anti clumping agent (most
likely Corn Starch/flour). The Iodine is to reduce gouter type problems. If
you eat seafood regularly you shouldn't need introduced iodine, but I'm not
a doctor.

Kosher Salt has no additives. If you find Kosher Salt too expensive...buy
course pickling salt...it too has no additives.

Also kosher salt comes in a larger crystal/grain/flake than table salt.
Which means that volume measurements for kosher salt (like a tsp or 1/4
cup) use less salt (by weight) than the smaller grain table salt, so kosher
salted recipes tend to be less salty in taste. Kinda like the pound of
feathers versus the pound of iron thingie but not so obvious.

Kosher salt is easier to add to items by hand (Spinkle on things). Easier
to control amounts. Because you select by hand the amount you use, not
guess how much is coming out of a shaker. The area above a hot pan/pot can
be very humid and plug up your shaker's holes.

There is a very minor taste difference (at least to me) between table salt,
kosher salt, sea salt and pickling salt. This might be a mental thing. But
all salt (NaCl), used for cooking, basically comes from the sea...It is
just some seas dried up thousands of years ago and others are still around
today.

Salt can also collect odors/tastes from the air. Example: Some of the humid
air that comes from a pot of boiling cabbage will be extracted by any salt
near by...slightly changing the taste of your table salt over
time/exposure.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.