Wayne and I used to buy all the fancy salts we could find, but over the years we keep going back to certain ones. Using something other than ordinary table salt is fun, and experimentation might reveal a few favorites of your own.
One we really like is pink salt from the Himalayas. It’s a lovely color and light on the tongue.
Our absolute favorite is Fleur de sel from the Camargue. The texture is exquisite and is delicious with just about anything. It is perfect on salads and roasted vegetables. While on our honeymoon on Provence, we found this salt for virtually nothing and we loaded up our suitcases. Sadly, we have less than half a container left and we’ll be stuck paying $10-$15 for it from now on. Either that or we go back to France.
One major consideration when choosing a salt is the size of the grain. We adore the flavor of gray salt, but often the grain is quite large. This will work well for a limited number of dishes, so it you want something more versatile go for something smaller without being superfine.
Given these fancy salts will definitely cost more than basic table salt, we find they provide the most eating pleasure when used as finishing salts. For cooking, go with the less expensive stuff.
The next on our list to try: smoked salt. Something tells me we will be hooked.