SALT

Salt, for simple ingredient is one of the most widely used food ingredients throughout the world, both flavoring during cooking and as a condiment to be added at the table.Salt consists of two elements, Sodium and chlorine.Human body requires about 5gms salt each day. Salt brings out the flavor of other ingredients; the other name for salt is sodium chloride. It is readily available in different forms, solid (rock salt), liquid (sea salt).Salt has a distinctive taste, it should be used skillfully as too much of it spoils the dish.

Salt is available in three forms:

• Table salt

• Coarse or freezing salt

• Celery salt (it is a blend of celery root and ordinary salt and used for flavoring certain dishes as an alternative to fresh celery or celery seed.

Uses of salt:

• use of correct amount of salt improves the flavor of savory dishes
• It has a physical effect on gluten of flavor and strengthens gluten and increases its resistance to the softening effects of fermentation.
• It makes the insects comes out of cauliflower when put in water
• Salting helps in preserving fish, ham etc
• Salt when added to water, for cooking green vegetables, helps in color retention and enhances the taste.
• It has a controlling effect on the activity of yeast in bakery products.