It was once taxed, wars were fought over it and it even contributed to the liberation of India. But despite its storied history, salt today is distinctly less loved. In New York earlier this year, a member of the city’s legislative assembly tried to introduce a bill that would ban the use of salt in restaurant kitchens. Here in Hong Kong, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has tried to warn citizens off dim-sum over concerns about the high levels of salt found in favourites such as fried dumplings and marinated jellyfish. With the World Health Organisation’s current recommendation of less than 5 grams of salt per day (about one teaspoon), you’ll want to make every grain count by choosing the best.

Unlike table salt, which is processed with high heat and chemicals, gourmet salts are unrefined, naturally harvested and sun-dried, and retain trace minerals that also account for subtle differences in taste. Chefs and discerning home cooks have been using gourmet salts rather than table salt for years. Jimmy Chan, Chiram Group’s executive chef offers his tips: “Unless you’re adding rock salt to a heated broth, always make sure it’s grated or in shavings. If you’re adding granules while cooking a dish, allow them to melt before tasting to check if more needs to be added.”

At the group’s restaurant, Rocksalt, in Stanley, three types of salt shavings are placed on each table: a natural white rock salt, a Murray River rock salt with a peach tinge that goes perfectly with fish, and Ash Rocksalt, a new breed of natural smoked salt that adds smokiness, particularly suited to creamy pastas, salmon, red meat and egg dishes.

Salt isn’t only limited to savoury dishes: salt, caramel and chocolate are the new trinity in pastry-making, as anyone that has ever tried Sift’s salty caramel cupcake can attest. The Cake Shop at the Mandarin Oriental was one of the first to offer salted chocolates and their innovative combinations include chocolates made with lava sea salt, olive oil and white chocolate; as well as the divine salted caramel, toffee and chocolate ganache. Balance is key when experimental with salt in the pastry kitchen: “We only use seal salt in chocolate with high cocoa solids or high sugar content (such as caramel) to balance the flavour,” says chef Uwe Opocensky, Executive Chef at the Mandarin Oriental. “Small amounts of good quality sea salt in pastries and cakes bring out the flavour, making you want to eat more if it”.

For those eager to experiment with gourmet salts at home, stores like ThreeSixty, Great and Citysuper carry gourmet salts that run the gamut of texture, colour and flavour. Below is our list of the most common types and their applications.

Flaked Sea Salt
Thin and light, flaked sea salt looks like snowflakes, and dissolves most quickly of all the salt grains.
It is obtained by allowing seawater to evaporate naturally and slowly heating the salt brine until delicate pyramid-shaped crystals appear.

How to use it: Its clean, distinct taste means less salt is needed to pep up your food. Chef Chan likes using Murray River rock salt with fresh market fish while Maldon is the sea salt that Chef Opocensky uses in his chocolates.

Buy it: ThreeSixty stocks Naruto sea salt from Japan and Atlantic sea salt from Geo Organics in the U.K; Citysuper stocks Murray River pink grinder salt.

Flavoured/Blended Sea Salt
Blended sea salt is any natural sea salt that is mixed with aromatic spices and herbs. There are countless combinations of flavours, with probably the most common being truffle salt. Or do what Chef Chan does at Rocksalt: use chilli-infused salt for dishes that need a kick.

How to use it: Great for infusing flavours into dishes or as a seasoning to finish off a dish, much as you would use an herb as a garnish. Lemon sea salt is especially good with fish.

Buy it: Halen Môn has a range of pure white sea salts with flavours such as celery seed, Tahitian vanilla pods, organic spices, or smoked over Welsh oak; all available at Oliver’s.

Fleur de Sel
French for “flower of the salt”, fleur de sel is a prized sea salt hand-harvested from the top layer of salt marshes without touching the coarse grey salt beneath the surface. It originates from coastal salt ponds in France, most notably Guérande in Brittany. Conditions have to be just right (warm and light winds) for it to be successfully harvested, further perpetuating its premium status.

How to use it: Fleur de sel is a delicate salt of small crystals, and it is best used just before serving so you can fully enjoy its flavour. Sprinkle it over a fresh garden salad, melons, grilled seafood or delicate sauces.

Buy it: Both Oliver’s and Citysuper stock fleur de sel from Guérande.

Lava Sea Salt
Harvested from local minerals or lava deposits, the two most prominent varieties of Hawaiian sea salt are red alaea and black lava. The bright red colour of alaea is a result of its blending with natural red clay, while black sea salt gets its glossy looks from the addition of purified volcanic charcoal. Another variety is black lava salt from Cyprus, which is a beautiful finishing salt thanks to pyramid-shaped crystals.

How to use it: Hawaiian sea salts have an earthier flavour than regular sea salt, and can be used for grilling or roasting meats or crushed over a finished dish for a vibrant presentation. At Rocksalt, the Cyprus Black Lava salt is the one used for their famous salt ice-cream.

Buy it: Terre Exotique stocks alaea red salt and black salt, both from Hawaii. Available on line at www.boutique.terreexotique.com. Black lava salt from Cyprus can be purchased online at www.saltworks.us.

Crystalline Sea Salt
Predominantly referring to mined salt, Himalayan pink salt is probably the most popular variety. Terre Exotique’s range of diamond salts are fossilised crystals of sea salt formed more than 260 million years ago, and the unpolluted crystals, extracted by hand from the Khewra mines in the heart of the Himalayas, contain a multitude of beneficial trace elements. Rocksalt uses Persian Blue, a salt extracted in Iran that is prized for its subtle aftertaste, in the restaurant’s stocks and broths.

How to use it: Use in a grinder at the table for freshly ground sea salt over soups, stews and pasta, it is particularly recommended to use such coarse salts in water for cooking pasta.

Buy it: Oliver’s stocks Jamie Oliver’s pink Himalayan salt; ThreeSixty and Citysuper both stock Original Himalayan crystal salt.