Salt Questions · Cooking & kitchen

What is the difference between kosher salt and sea salt?

By The Salt AlmanacUpdated November 8, 20263 sources cited

Where each one comes from

Kosher salt takes its name from koshering, the Jewish practice of drawing blood from meat with coarse salt. The salt itself is not special; its big crystals simply stick to meat without dissolving at once. Most is made from underground salt deposits or evaporated brine.

Sea salt is made by evaporating seawater, in shallow pans in the sun or by boiling. It ranges from fine table-style grains to wet grey sel gris and delicate flakes like Maldon.

Why the difference matters in the kitchen

• Volume: a teaspoon of big kosher crystals holds less salt than a teaspoon of fine sea salt, so swapping one for the other by the spoon changes the seasoning.
• Texture: coarse and flaky salts are easy to pinch and add crunch as a finishing salt.
• Additives: some kosher salts have no anti-caking agent; many fine sea salts and table salts do.
• Iodine: neither is usually iodized, so check the label if you rely on salt for iodine.

Is one healthier?

No. By weight, both are mostly sodium chloride and supply about the same sodium. The American Heart Association notes that sea salt and table salt have the same basic nutritional value.

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