salt: flavor dynamics and culinary application

THE WORLD’S PREMIERCULINARY COLLEGE

Salt Flavor Dynamics And Culinary Application

Nutrient Essentials Conference National Restaurant Association

Chef Almir Da FonsecaChef Instructor The Culinary Institute of America

Greystone, Saint Helena CA.


Types Of Salt

• Kosher salt – pure refined rock salt, also known as coarse salt • Pickling or canning salt – fine-grained additive-free salt• Rock salt or halite – mined from natural deposits, varies in color • Sea salt – generally comes from coastal marshes, basins, and areas where

seawater has been trapped and evaporate naturally• Table salt – has additives added that prevent caking


A Note About Salt

• It is an essential element in the diet of not only humans but of animals, even many plants

• Is one of the most effective and widely used food preservatives (even used to preserved Egyptian mummies)

• It has been the cause of bitter warfare


A Brief History

• Roman soldiers were known as “salarium argentum” the forerunner of the English word “salary”

• Ancient Greece involving exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the expression, “not worth his salt.”


A Brief History

• The desire to obtain salt politically or militarily has influenced the histories of countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and the Middle East

• It has been the reason behind commercial and political strategy


A Brief History

• Salt was used as a form of currency and had greater value than gold in some ancient societies.

• Religious and magical significance has also been attributed to this mineral


Salt And Food Preservation

• Salt is indispensable to life• One of the oldest form of food

preservation• Salt dried meats and fish• Canning foods, pickling and

brining• Flavoring


Salt And It’s Place In Food Manufacture


Brining, Smoking And Evaporating (salt dried)


Culinary Applications


Harvesting Salt In The Philippines


Harvesting Salt In Italy


Harvesting Salt In France


Harvesting Salt In The U.S.A.


U.S.A. The Worlds Largest Salt Producer


Jurassic Salt From Pakistan


France’s Finest Salt Le Tresor Salt Collection


Salts From Vietnam & Pakistan


A Diverse Collection Of Salts From Around The World & A Bamboo- Dried Salt

From Japan


Salt Tasting Sets From France & South America


What Chefs Look For In High Quality Salts: Taste, Texture, Complexity, And Depth


Commonly Used Salts


Salt Analysis

• Sodium• Magnesium• Calcium• Potassium• Strontium• Manganese• Aluminum• Phosphorus• Selenium• Zinc• Gallium• Germanium• Gold

• Antimony• Arsenic• Barium• Beryllium• Bismuth• Boron• Cadmium• Cerium• Cesium• Chromium• Cobalt• Copper


Flavor Dynamics: Philippine


Flavor Dynamics: France


Flavor Dynamics: Italy


Flavor Dynamics: Kosher and Iodized


Sources

• Adshead, Samuel A.M. Salt and Civilization. MacMillan, 1992.• Multhauf, Robert P. • Neptune's Gift. Johns Hopkins, 1978.• Opie and Tatem, 1989: 338-44• Radford; Radford, and Hole, 1961: 297-9• Roud, 2003: 387-93• Salt a world history by Mark Kurlansky• The history of taste by Paul Freedman• The taste of conquest by Michael Krondl• The spice routes by Chris & Carolyn Caldicott• Xroads Philippine sea salts• The Meadow• Avanti Savoia Imports• Morton salt co.• The Culinary Institute of America, Educational Materials• The Internet

salt: flavor dynamics and culinary application

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