Why You Should Use Greek Sea Salt

Written by Greek Boston in Greek Cooking Comments Off on Why You Should Use Greek Sea Salt

When cooking Greek food, you’ll often need to add salt to the dishes you are making, especially if it is a savory dish. Although most of us simply use any type of salt we have on hand, this may not be the best approach. Greek cooking is enhanced by using Greek sea salt! Here’s more information about Greek sea salt and why you should use it:

About Greek Sea Salt

Salt comes from many sources throughout the world. On land, salt is sometimes found in caves and mined. For example, Himalayan salt is harvested from inside special caves. Although these caves are now inland, they used to be part of an ancient ocean. When the ocean water receded, the salt was left behind. Inland mines can also be found elsewhere in the world, such as in Europe.

In Greece, however, salt is usually harvested from the sea. Many Greeks often harvest their own salt, especially on the islands and in the coastal areas of mainland Greece. There are also some areas in Greece where salt can be found inland, such as the Salt Flats in Messolonghi.

Harvesting Greek Sea Salt

In most coastal areas of Greece, sea salt forms deposits against the shore. Most locals know where these places are, and if you want to participate in this practice while in Greece, it is probably best to talk to the locals before you try it. Harvesting takes place only at certain times of the year. Salt water evaporates against the coastal rocks and when that happens, the salt is left behind. Over time, salt deposits collect to the point where they can be harvested.

Once the sea salt deposits are located, it’s time to mine the salt! It is mostly done by breaking off pieces of the salt and placing it in a bowl. You can also scrape the salt deposits with a spoon right into your bowl, basket, or bag. Most Greeks seem to use a bowl or sturdy bag to collect their salt.

Use Greek Sea Salt in Cooking

Sea salt has a rich mineral content, which seems to improve the flavor. Table salt usually just contains one type of sodium, but the richness in minerals for Greek salt adds to the complexity of its flavor. Since most of the food in Greece is prepared using authentic Greek sea salt, you might want to consider buying some so you can make these recipes at home. If the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of salt, all you need to do is use 1 teaspoon of Greek sea salt!

Even if you don’t live in Greece, you can order Greek sea salt from speciality shops or from the internet. Consider buying some so that you can use it in your cooking, especially when you make Greek food!

We take salt for granted because it is present in nearly every recipe we cook. Visit our recipes section to find the Greek recipes you really want to cook!

Categorized in: Greek Cooking

This post was written by Greek Boston