-By Kristin V. Montalvo

Specialty Salt
A basic component of taste, salt is a culinary staple that penetrates ingredients, draws out their juices, while simultaneously adding depth and enhancing the flavor of whatever it is you're cooking. In recent years, gourmet cooks, consumers and specialty food retailers have discovered the many exotic varieties of specialty salts available from around the world.

While today salt is inexpensive and universally available, that wasn't always the case. Because of its importance in food preservation and the fact that the human body requires it (for the regulation of fluid balance), salt has been an extremely valuable commodity throughout the ages. In fact, the expression that someone is "worth his salt" dates from Roman times when salt had such a high value it was traded for other goods. Salt was valued by the ancient Hebrews and Greeks, throughout the Middle Ages and well into the 19th century when it began to become more plentiful and, therefore, reasonable in price.

There are two types of salt: salt mined from underground deposits and salt collected from evaporated seawater. Although the salt in both cases is primarily made up of sodium chloride, the differences in flavor depend on the minerals present in the earth or water from which the salt was taken. There are broad flavor and color distinctions between mined salt and sea salt, and more finite differences among the individual salts from different geographic areas and bodies of water.

Table salt is the most common kind of salt found in the average kitchen. It is mass-produced; most of it mined. The refined final product has been treated with an anti-caking agent, such as calcium silicate, a white, odorless, tasteless agent that absorbs moisture. In some cases, potassium iodide, a trace element that is lacking in some diets, is added to salt for health reasons.

Canning and pickling salt is fine-grained and similar to table salt. It is used to make brine for pickles, sauerkraut, etc. It contains no additives, which would cloud the brine. Popcorn salt is a very fine-grained salt which is a flakier version of table salt. Seasoned salt is regular salt combined with other flavoring ingredients, such as onion salt, garlic salt and celery salt. Sour salt is extracted from acidic fruits, such as lemons and limes. It is used to add tartness to traditional dishes like borscht. Rock salt has a grayish cast because it's not as refined as other salts, which means it retains more minerals and harmless impurities. It comes in chunky crystals and is used predominantly as a bed on which to serve baked oysters and clams, and combined with ice to make ice cream in crank-style ice-cream makers.

Kosher salt is an additive-free coarse-grained salt. It is traditionally used in the preparation of kosher meats, because of its ability to draw out a maximum of blood. Many cooks use kosher salt as their everyday salt, preferring its texture and flavor over table salt. It is often used on top of pretzels and on the rims of margarita glasses. Its large crystals make it easy to grab a pinch between your fingers for sprinkling into a cooking pot or on a salad. It has a fresh, clean taste without any noticeable mineral notes.

Sea salt is a broad term that generally refers to salt gained from evaporating salt water collected from an ocean or sea -- a process that is accomplished mostly by artificial means today. However, in many places, particularly the Mediterranean, traditional techniques for extracting the salt are still employed. The sea salt best known to Americans hails from Guérande in France's Brittany region where farmers channel the seawater into clay ponds and wait for it to evaporate to reveal the salt crystals. Considered by many to be the best, Fleur de Sel is harvested by hand-skimming the pond's surface. Fleur de Sel is used only for finishing, whereas regular sea salt is used for cooking. (Gros sel is another French term used for sea salt.)

Tasty sea salts from around the world are marketed using their appellations, with the flavors depending upon where they originate and how they're harvested. They are usually more expensive than mineral salts and are sold as coarse salt, containing as they do other trace elements that lend the salts their unique flavors.

These moist, grayish-white crystals contain about 85 percent sodium chloride in addition to magnesium, calcium and other beneficial minerals. Besides delivering more distinctive taste, sea salts are considered to be better for you as they don't contain any of the additives typically used in regular salt, including the anti-caking chemicals. Sea salt is growing in popularity as consumers continue their search for more natural foods. Available in coarse, fine and extra-fine grain size.

There are numerous types of sea salts available today. Here are a few to take note of:

Black Salt, Kala Namak, Sanchal -- Actually pearly pink gray in color rather than black. Known for its strong sulfur flavor and is often used in Indian cooking.

Grey Salt, Celtic Salt, Sel Gris -- This "moist" unrefined sea salt is usually found on the coastal areas of France and is harvested from the light film of salt which forms during the evaporation process. The gray or light purple color comes from the clay in the region of France where it is harvested. Collected by hand using traditional Celtic methods. Grey salt has gained great fame in the mainstream culinary world in the last few years and is considered by many to be the best-quality salt available.

Hawaiian Sea Salt -- Has a distinctive pink hue from the Alaea added to it -- volcanic red clay with a high content of iron oxide. The clay imparts a subtle flavor that is said to be mellower than regular sea salt. This salt is often used in many traditional Hawaiian dishes like Kahlua Pig and Hawaiian Jerky.

Coarse Salt, Gros Sel, Gale Grosso -- A larger grain salt which resists moisture and is intended to be ground. Uses include flavoring for soups and salt crusts on meats.

Flake Salt -- Shaped like snowflakes, the brine is made using the sun and wind for evaporation. Then the brine is slowly heated to create the flakes. The finished product is light, flaky sea salt.

Fleur de Sel, Flor De Sal -- Meaning "flower of salt" in French, it is the premier condiment salt. This artisan sea salt is comprised of "young" crystals that form naturally on the surface of salt evaporation ponds. They are hand-harvested under specific weather conditions by traditional "Paludiers" (salt farmers). True Fleur de Sel comes from the Guérande region of France. Like fine wine regions, different areas within Guérande produce salts with their own unique flavors and aroma profiles. Ideal for salads, cooked fresh vegetables and grilled meats.

French Sea Salt -- Harvested from pristine Atlantic seawater. Unlike most American sea salts, they are usually unrefined, so they retain more of the trace minerals that naturally occur in seawater. These minerals include natural iodine. Ideal for salads, cooked fresh vegetables and grilled meat.

Grinder Salt -- Typically large dry crystals suitable to a salt mill or grinder. The white salt crystals are easy to grind in the mills and the lower moisture content allows the salt to flow through with little hassle. For flavoring foods at the table when the host determines that a finer, higher-grade finishing salt is not required. Note: Always use a salt mill with a ceramic or plastic grinding mechanism. Metal, including stainless steel, will corrode and adversely flavor the salt.

Italian Sea Salt, Sicilian Sea Salt, Sale Marino -- Harvested from the lower Mediterranean Sea by hand using traditional methods of natural evaporation, this salt is high in iodine, fluorine, magnesium and potassium. These salts have a delicate taste and plenty of flavor without being too strong or salty. Highlight salads, finish roasts and sauces. Also great as a garnish on bruschetta.

Smoked Sea Salt -- These salts are a relatively new and exciting gourmet salt in the U.S. They are naturally smoked over real wood fires to infuse the salt crystals with 100 percent natural smoke flavor. Naturally smoked sea salts -- as opposed to artificially infused, smoke-flavored salts -- add a unique flavor to a wide range of dishes including roasts, chicken, salads and sandwiches. Great when grilling or oven roasting. This is a must when cooking salmon. Also adds an authentic smokehouse flavor to soups, salads, pasta and sandwiches.

Source: SaltWorks, Inc., www.saltworks.us

Hints on Using Different Types of Salt
Different salts offer different qualities based on how they are used. Here are a few hints on the way to use certain types of salt:

* Fine salts -- use for baking unless a recipe calls for something different. The texture and size of a fine salt is smaller and more dense than a more coarsely ground salt.

* Kosher salt -- is great to use while cooking as the size of the salt makes it easier to see how much is being added.

* Hand-harvested salts -- avoid using during a cooking process unless it is a very quick process like with salmon. If used during the cooking process, the flavor and texture can be lost.

Tips For Merchandising Salt
* Use creative displays to educate your customers about the differences obtained with the use of specialty salt and in how it is harvested.

* Match specialty salts with other products like peppercorns, grinders and books from their countries of origin.

* Use cooking demos to show the differences obtained by using specialty salt.

Sushi Tools
As Americans become increasingly aware of ethnic cuisines and culturally inspired tools, they head to their specialty gourmet stores to learn about and purchase these products. The economy is also leading consumers to turn to more home entertaining, which leads them on a quest to recreate trendy restaurant cuisines, such as sushi. This popular Japanese cuisine is not only delicious and healthy, but can also be quick and easy to make at home. You just need fresh ingredients and a few simple tools.

Two tools are essential for making maki-zushi, or sushi rolls: the rice paddle and the bamboo mat. The rice paddle is used to flip the hot cooked sushi rice as it cools, and then to incorporate the rice vinegar for seasoning. The paddle, which is about 8-inches-long and has a 2 1/2-inch-broad, flat paddle at one end, is traditionally made of wood, although plastic paddles are also available. In fact, many Japanese cooks recommend the more modern molded-plastic paddle because the rice doesn't stick to it as it does to the bamboo versions. To help prevent the rice from sticking to the paddle, sprinkle it with a little water.

The bamboo mat, or makisu, is made by weaving thin, parallel bamboo rods together with cotton string into a flexible 9-inch square. This gadget, which resembles a small bamboo roll-up window shade, is used to help guide the nori (seaweed) into a roll around the rice and filling ingredients. While, in a pinch, you can roll maki-zushi with a damp linen napkin, the bamboo mat is the authentic way to do it, and it works very well. When making sushi rolls, make sure the slats of the bamboo mat are facing horizontal. After rolling, it is also best to leave the maki-zushi resting in the bamboo mat for at least 5 minutes until it "sets." Then unroll, and cut the nori-wrapped cylinder into 1-inch lengths. Serve on round bamboo or lacquer trays.

Of course, at the heart of sushi is the rice, so preparing white rice to a perfect, sticky consistency can easily be achieved in a good rice cooker. They allow consumers to cook everything from sweet rice to sushi rice to brown rice perfectly every time. Micom rice cookers, for example, are fitted with a micro computer chip that is capable of making automatic adjustments in the temperature and cooking times, depending upon the program entered. This computer chip, the brains of the unit, makes small adjustments in the rice cooker's temperature and cooking times according to what the thermal sensor senses instead of simply switching on and off in a reaction to temperature changes. Some even feature tight-closing lids that keep rice moist for up to 12 hours. They're high-tech, compact, easy to use and easy to clean.

Other helpful tools include Japanese kitchen knives, which are used to fillet fish, slice fish steak and to cut maki-zushi. The most commonly used types in the Japanese kitchen are the deba bocho (kitchen cleaver), the santoku hocho (all-purpose utility knife), the nakiri bocho and usuba hocho (Japanese vegetable knives), and the tako hiki and yanagi ba (sashimi slicers).

Merchandising Tips
Asian cookware pieces can tell a story all their own, especially if you group together bamboo products -- utensils, steamers, plates and cutting boards -- with a wok for a textural display that calls attention to the category. Complete the scene with chopsticks, rice bowls, Asian-inspired serveware and cookbooks. Food complements can include rice, teas, sauces, mirin, sesame seeds, wasabi, nori, lemongrass, peanuts, peppercorns, fish sauce, coriander and rice noodles. Complement those ingredients with spice grinders, measuring spoons, rice cookers and Asian cutlery. Also consider sushi kits, Asian teapots, trivets, teacups and dinnerware.