“Which is best for Korean cooking? Kosher salt, sea salt, or table salt?”
Many of my readers ask me which kind of salt they should use in Korean cooking. In the Korean grocery store they see many differentkinds of salt at different prices, and they wonder which one they need to buy. They also ask me if they need to buy only Korean salt to make Korean food.
The short answer is: You can use any salt sold in any grocery store to make Korean food.
From left: table salt, kosher salt, and sea salt
They are all salt, what makes them different is mostly the size and texture of the grains. Table salt is small and granular. Kosher salt is larger, and sea salt is large and flaky.
Almost all Koreans use sea salt for making kimchi, fish sauce, hot pepper paste (gochujang), and fermented bean paste (doenjang), and a less granular Korean brand for everything else. When I lived in Korea, I did too. I would buy a big straw sack of sea salt that would last a year. I’d need to let it sit a bit and let some of the mineral-rich seawater drip out of the bottom of the salt sack. Until that happened, the salt was a little bitter. We all thought sea salt was necessary to make some dishes.
Sea salt
When I first lived in America in 1990s, Korean sea salt was available ata nearby Korean grocery store but it was expensive . I really wanted to buy only one kind of reasonably-priced salt and use it for everything: Korean and non-Korean cooking. As an experiment I bought some Morton table salt and made kimchi with it. The kimchi turned out perfect, just as good as kimchi made with Korean sea salt!
It was time for me to stop using Korean sea salt.
Iodized salt (table salt)
I later learned that all salt – sea salt, table salt, Kosher salt – is chemically the same. There might be some trace minerals on them but basically salt is salt.
When I started making recipes for my website (and later for my cookbook), I decided to use one kind of salt so readers could easily follow my recipes and wouldn’t need to buy different kinds of salt for different dishes. Something reasonably priced and easy to find in grocery stores. I chose Kosher salt.
Kosher salt
It’s pretty cheap and pretty easy to find, and I like the way it is dissolved fast and it feels in my hands when I sprinkle it. A little chunky and big, it feels good in my fingers and spreads well.
You can use any other kind of salt you want that’s readily available to you, it doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive or purchased at a special store. The only thing you have to be aware of if you don’t use kosher salt is that you’ll need to adjust the amount of salt you use when following my recipes. The grains of table salt are smaller, so a cup of table salt is more concentrated. You can use less. And sea salt is large and coarse, so you’ll need to use more of it.
When making Korean food, don’t worry about having the right salt or not. Use what you have around, experiment, and have fun! Happy cooking!
FAQs
Doctors recommend adding foods high in potassium to balance salts in the body. High potassium levels help in excreting sodium. If you have consumed a pizza loaded with cheese, go for a banana immediately as it decreases salts.
What happens if you don't take enough salt? ›
Salt loss (hyponatremia)
Hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the sodium in your blood falls below the normal range of 135–145 mEq/L. In severe cases, low sodium levels in the body can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Eventually, lack of salt can lead to shock, coma and death.
How do I know if I'm getting enough salt? ›
A blood test can help your doctor check for low sodium levels. Even if you don't have symptoms of low blood sodium, your doctor may order a basic metabolic panel. This tests the amounts of electrolytes and minerals in your blood. A basic metabolic panel is often part of a routine physical.
Is 3000 mg of sodium too much? ›
This limit was established based on evidence from clinical studies that sodium intakes above 2,300 mg (2.3 grams) per day can adversely affect blood pressure and increase heart disease risk.
Does coffee flush out sodium? ›
Chronic caffeine intake increases urinary sodium excretion without affecting plasma sodium concentration.
What are signs of too much salt? ›
What Are Signs Of Too Much Salt: Avoid High Sodium Intake
- Bloating. Consuming too much salt can disrupt the delicate balance of fluids in your body, leading to bloating and discomfort, especially in the abdominal region. ...
- Thirst. ...
- Frequent urination. ...
- High blood pressure. ...
- Swelling. ...
- Headaches. ...
- Fatigue. ...
- Palpitations.
Increase your salt intake
Consuming more salt is the most straightforward way to increase your sodium levels. Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is our diet's primary sodium source.
Which organ is most affected by hyponatremia? ›
In particular, the consequences of acute hyponatremia on the brain may be severe, including permanent disability and death. Also chronic hyponatremia can affect the health status, causing attention deficit, gait instability, increased risk of falls and fractures, and osteoporosis.
How much salt is too little per day? ›
One study found that less than 3,000 mg of sodium per day is linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes ( 14 ). Disturbingly, another study reported a higher risk of dying from heart disease at the lower sodium levels that many guidelines currently recommend ( 15 ).
Which disease is caused by lack of sodium? ›
Overview. Hyponatremia occurs when the concentration of sodium in your blood is abnormally low.
Symptoms of hyponatremia can include nausea and vomiting, loss of energy and confusion. Serious hyponatremia can cause seizures, coma and even death. Hyponatremia is more common in older adults because they're more likely to take medicines or have medical problems that put them at risk of the disorder.
What is the number one cause of low sodium? ›
The most common reason for hyponatremia is having too much fluid (water) in the body. This dilution (watering down) effect on the blood makes the amount of sodium seem low. Another common cause is when your body loses too much sodium in the urine and/or sweat.
What's worse for you, sugar or sodium? ›
Despite the link between sodium and blood pressure, the journal Open Heart published a review that proposes added sugar may be more strongly and directly associated with high blood pressure and overall cardiovascular risk.
What is the fastest thing to lower blood pressure? ›
How to lower your blood pressure immediately without medication
- A 60-second trick to lower blood pressure immediately is to take a deep breath and try to relax. ...
- Drink some water. ...
- Try some mild physical activity. ...
- Eat some dark chocolate. ...
- Take a cold shower. ...
- Get some sun. ...
- Drink beetroot and apple juice.
There are quite a lot of different reasons why sodium in the blood may be low. Your doctor may want to do some further tests. However, if they conclude that your sodium level is low because of medication, they may suggest that you eat more salt.
What helps flush sodium from the body? ›
“The very best thing to do is sweat,” says registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. “The body naturally removes sodium through sweat, tears and urine.” To even out your sodium level, get sweaty by exercising or sitting in a sauna. Drink plenty of fluids and cut out salt and salty foods right away.
Should you eat bananas if you have low sodium? ›
Buy plenty of vegetables and fruits, like: Any fresh fruits, such as apples, berries, oranges, mangoes, and bananas. Any fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, sweet potatoes, beets, okra, spinach, peppers, carrots, and edamame. Frozen vegetables without added butter or sauce.
Do bananas clean out your system? ›
Bananas are a great detox food. The pectin in them binds toxic compounds in your blood and carries them out through urine and waste.
Does potassium rid the body of sodium? ›
Potassium has an opposite effect in the body—it can help relax blood vessels and increase sodium excretion while decreasing blood pressure. Rich sources of potassium include fruits, leafy greens, beans, nuts, dairy foods, and starchy vegetables like winter squash.
