What are kosher foods?
Kosher foods are foods that adhere to the Jewish Dietary Laws of Kashrut. Foods that are forbidden include shellfish, gelatin, rabbit, camel and pigs. Additionally, meat and dairy should not be eaten together.
What is kosher salt?
Most commonly seen in American recipes, kosher salt is a relatively rare ingredient in Australians cupboards. Made from large coarse crystals, kosher salt was traditionally used by the Jewish to remove blood from meat. If you’re just as confused as we are about the difference between some of the most common salts in your cupboard, read here.
All salt is made of sodium chloride but the main difference is the size of the salts. Kosher salts are not iodised meaning they are purer than other salts, with some saying that it contains more health benefits than other salts. Some other salts contain iodine (table salt) and iron (Celtic salt and Himalayan salt) whereas kosher salt doesn’t have any minerals mixed in so, therefore, is purer.
Where to buy?
Kosher salt is sold at a number of specialty retailers in Australia. As it is a specialty item it is cheapest to buy it in bulk. Smoke & Cured sells a 3kg bag for $22.95.
What can you substitute for kosher salt?
If you’ve found a recipe that calls for kosher salt with none in the cupboard try using sea salt or sea salt flakes. It won’t change the flavour dramatically once dissolved just be careful not to add too much in as they are finer than kosher salt.
