Written by Brittany Russell |
Added to nearly every savory, maybe some sweet, recipe one can think of, salt and pepper is the standard pair found on any dining table. Seemingly better suited for one another than Barbie and Ken, the two spices met during the 17th century and have been together since.
Sea Salt
It all began with sea salt, one of the first commodities known to mankind. Often used as a currency, it is clear how valuable salt was and continues to be today. Areas that produce specialized sea salt include the Cayman Islands, Greece, France, Ireland, Colombia, Sicily, Maldon in Essex UK, Hawaii, Maine, Utah, San Francisco Bay and Cape Cod.
Gourmets often believe sea salt to be better than ordinary table salt in taste and texture, though one cannot always taste the difference when dissolved. In applications where sea salt’s coarser texture is retained, it can provide different mouth feel and changes in flavor due to its different rate of dissolution. The mineral content also affects the taste. It may be difficult to distinguish sea salt from other salts with a high mineral content, such as pink Himalayan salt or grey colored rock salt.
Iodized salt, or refined salt, contains 39 percent sodium, 60 percent chloride, up to 2 percent Ferro cyanide, aluminum, silicate, ammonium citrate and dextrose, and only .01 percent iodide. Though some claim refined salt to be a great source of iodine, the ratio begs to differ – there is insufficient iodine in salt to provide for the body’s iodine needs. Unrefined sea salt, untouched by man, contains many minerals that iodized table salt does not contain such as magnesium, sulfate, calcium and potassium.
Salts healthful benefits: most effective in stabilizing irregular heartbeats; essential for the regulation of blood pressure; vital to the extraction of excess acidity from the cells in the body, particularly the brain cells; balances sugar levels in the blood; a needed element for diabetics; vital to the nerve cells’ communication and information processing; and clears the lungs of mucus plugs and sticky phlegm.
If you decide to use sea salt in your diet, continue to keep your total sodium consumption under 2,400 mgs per day.
Black Pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), usually dried and used as a spice.
Dried ground pepper is one of the most common spices in European cuisine and its descendants, having been known and prized since antiquity for both its flavor and its use as a medicine.
Black peppercorns are used in remedies in Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicine in India. The 5th century Syriac Book of Medicines prescribes pepper for such illnesses as constipation, diarrhea, earache, gangrene, heart disease, hernia, hoarseness, indigestion, insect bites, insomnia, joint pain, liver problems, lung disease, oral abscesses, sunburn, tooth decay and toothaches. Various sources from the 5th century onward also recommend pepper to treat eye problems, often by applying salves or poultices made with pepper directly to the eye. There is no current medical evidence that any of these treatments has any benefit; pepper applied directly to the eye would be quite uncomfortable and possibly damaging.
It has been shown that pepper can dramatically increase absorption of selenium, vitamin B and beta-carotene as well as other nutrients.
Together or on their own, salt and pepper are typically a subtle complement to other dominant flavors. Try crusting your favorite cut of meat with salt and pepper only, making them the star of your next meal!
References:
1. Brownstein, David MD. Salt: Your Way to Health. Medical Alternatives Press, West Bloomfield 2006.
2. http://www.health-benefit-of-water.com/sea-salt.html#health
3. http://www.ehow.com/how_4510953_understand-health-benefits-sea-salt.html
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pepper
5. http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/16/when-did-salt-and-pepper-become-a-pair
