KOSHER SCHMOSHER?

Morton Kosher Salt in fact tastes “saltier” than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Huh?! Photo from Aaron Louie on flickr

Q. “I've read that kosher salt from Diamond vs. Morton differs so that the same amount is much saltier from one brand. I'm wondering which brand you use, and how to adjust recipes if I have the opposite in my cupboard.” Elizabeth S.

A. At a tasting of salts that I held recently, we noted that common table salt, the kind that pours out of a canister or shaker, is among the saltiest-tasting of salts available. A small amount of it on the tongue is nearly overwhelmingly salty.

Kosher salt brands themselves vary in salt intensity. They contain the same level or amount of sodium chloride (that’s because they’re just “salt”). However, their “method of delivery” makes a difference in their “saltiness.”

Due to the way it is shaved, the light, hollow flakes of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt taste much less salty—by a significant margin—than Morton Kosher Salt, the thin flakes of which are shaved differently.

In a manner of thinking, the two kosher salts differ in how “thick” they are “with” salt. (Note: on the nutrition labels for both, a 1/4 teaspoon of the former delivers 12 percent of the daily value of sodium, while the latter delivers 20 percent of the same.)

More “saltiness”? Go for Morton. Dial it back? Diamond Crystal’s your kosher salt.