Aksaray Tava
Small pieces of lamb baked with tomatoes, green peppers and whole garlic in a rich tomato and pepper sauce, served with warm lavaş.
The Turkish pantry
Sea salt
Sea salt is made by evaporating seawater. Its crystals range from fine to coarse and flaky, which changes how much fits in a spoon.
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Culinary sea salt (deniz tuzu) is salt produced by evaporating seawater. By weight it is as salty as table salt: most of it is sodium chloride. It is usually less refined than table salt and often has no added iodine.
Types & forms
Fine sea salt
Small crystals that measure close to table salt by the spoon. Use it when a recipe calls for sea salt without saying coarse.
Coarse sea salt
Larger crystals. Fewer fit in a spoon, so a spoonful is less salty than the same spoon of fine salt. Grind it or weigh it.
Flaky sea salt
Thin, light flakes for sprinkling over a finished dish, not for measured seasoning.
What to look for when buying
- Check the crystal size on the label (fine or coarse) and match the recipe.
- Check whether it is iodized; many sea salts have no added iodine.
- Choose food-grade salt whose ingredient list shows salt only, or salt with a named anti-caking agent.
Prepare & cook
- For a measured amount, use fine sea salt, or grind coarse crystals before measuring.
- Add the measured amount and taste the cooked food before adding more.
Store it well
- Keep tightly closed in a dry place; sea salt can absorb moisture and clump.
- Use a clean, dry spoon.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Table salt
Fine table salt can replace fine sea salt spoon for spoon. In place of coarse sea salt, use less by volume or match the weight.
Nutrition
Sea salt products differ in crystal size, added iodine and trace minerals, so no single table is shown. Missing values are not zero.
Cook with Sea salt