A selmelier is a trained and knowledgeable professional specializing in culinary salt

Salt

In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...

 and its use in cooking and restaurant service.

Etymology

Coined by food writer and entrepreneur Mark Bitterman

Mark Bitterman

Mark Bitterman is an American food writer and entrepreneur. With his wife Jennifer Turner Bitterman he is co-owner of The Meadow, a boutique that specializes in finishing salts, single-origin dark chocolate bars, bitters, and gourmet accoutrements...

, the word selmelier is formed by analogy with sommelier

Sommelier

A sommelier , or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food matching...

, a wine expert, using the French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 word for salt (sel).

Description

The primary role of a selmelier is to assist cooks and eaters with decisions about how to use salt and which salt to use for a given food or dish.

A selmelier may focus on the use of salt as a finishing touch, allowing the crystals to remain somewhat autonomous and maximizing their impact on food. A well-salted dish does not taste strongly of salt, but instead finds its flavors enhanced by it.

Salt Criteria

Because of the importance of finishing as a technique in cooking, it is the aspect of salting where most of the selmelier's attention is paid. Among other things, a selmelier takes into consideration the following six characteristics of a salt in order to determine its suitability for a dish:

• Crystal structure – Salt crystallizes in various forms based on the methods of evaporation and harvesting used. Salts typically come in either granular or flake forms; however, within these categories salt crystals can vary greatly in size as well as shape. Some flake salts
  Flake salt
  Flake salts are a category of salt characterized by their dry, plate-like crystals. Their structure is a result of differing growth rates between the faces and edges of the crystal, an effect that can be achieved in various ways...
  
  , for instance, may be pyramid-shaped while others may be irregular and fractured.

• Mineral content - Natural, unrefined sea
  Sea salt
  Sea salt, salt obtained by the evaporation of seawater, is used in cooking and cosmetics. It is historically called bay salt or solar salt...
  
   and rock salts contain a host of trace minerals, often as many as 84 different kinds. Rock salts like Himalayan Pink contain around 3% trace minerals, while sea salts may contain 30% or more. Industrially produced kosher and table salts such as Morton’s may contain nearly 99.99% sodium chloride, with a chemical anti-caking agent making up the remaining percentage. A salt's signature mineral profile provides the salt's taste, in the strict sense of the term, and correlates with the meroir of the seawater from which it is harvested (see terroir
  Terroir
  Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
  
  ).

• Moisture content – Sea salt naturally contains some degree of moisture. (Refined salts are stripped of all moisture, hence the need for added anti-caking chemicals.) These salts tend to dry out the mouth for the same reason. Unrefined salts are variously moist. Fleurs de sel
  Fleur de sel
  Fleur de sel is a hand-harvested sea salt collected by workers who scrape only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans...
  
  usually contain anywhere from 5 to 10% residual moisture. This gives the salt resiliency when coming into contact with moisture on food or in the mouth. A rock salt, on the other hand, contains very little residual moisture and will melt away into a moist food, seasoning the dish but diminishing the mouthfeel
  Mouthfeel
  Mouthfeel is a product's physical and chemical interaction in the mouth, an aspect of food rheology. It is a concept used in many areas related to the testing and evaluating of foodstuffs, such as wine-tasting and rheology. It is evaluated from initial perception on the palate, to first bite,...
  
   of the salt.

• Body – The physical feel of the salt. This is the composite result of the mineral content, moisture content, and crystal structure. A salt may be fleeting or more lasting; it may be dry, dusty, and slight of body, or wet, chunky, and full-bodied. Some salts dissipate on food, tongue, and palate almost instantly, while others yield easily to the teeth and still others give a pop or crunch.

• Aesthetics - The look of a salt also contributes to the experience of the dish. One can find black, red, pink, yellow, and even blue salts. Some get their coloration from inherent minerals while others get it from infusion processes. As an example, a charcoal-infused black flake salt brings contrast to vanilla ice cream that a white salt cannot.

• Cultural significance – Most culinary traditions incorporate an indigenous salt in some form; certain dishes, therefore, may require certain salts in order to remain truly authentic. Some masalas
  Chaat masala
  Chaat masala is a masala, or spice mix, used in Indian and Pakistani Cuisine. It typically consists of amchoor , cumin, Kala Namak, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, asafoetida and chili powder...
  
  , for instance, require the use of Kala Namak. A chef wanting to stick to a regional theme may choose to use only ingredients native to the cuisine, including the type of salt.

Certification

While there is not yet an official certification for a selmelier, there exists an association for aspirants.

See Also

• Fleur de sel
  Fleur de sel
  Fleur de sel is a hand-harvested sea salt collected by workers who scrape only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans...
  
  
• Sel gris
  Sel gris
  Sel gris is a coarse granular sea salt popularized by the French.Sel gris comes from the same solar evaporation salt pans as fleur de sel but is harvested differently; it is allowed to come into contact with the bottom of the salt pan before being raked, whence its gray color...
  
  
• Flake salt
  Flake salt
  Flake salts are a category of salt characterized by their dry, plate-like crystals. Their structure is a result of differing growth rates between the faces and edges of the crystal, an effect that can be achieved in various ways...
  
  
• Rock salt
• Himalayan salt block
  Himalayan salt block
  Himalayan salt blocks are slabs of salt carved from quarries of rock salt in Pakistan's Khewra Salt Mines. They come in the form of blocks, bowls, and plates and may be used to serve, cook, and cure food. This method of putting food on salt instead of salt on food yields an even distribution of...
  
  

External Links

• The Food Section on 'selmelier'
• David Lea-Wilson, co-owner of Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt Company, in The Guardian
• Rules for strategic salting – Chicago Tribune
• New York Times Magazine - Culinary Voyage in Portland, Oregon
• Gothamist on NYC salt shop
• WNYC on the salt health debate
• Culinary salts in the New York Times Curious Cook column, by Harold McGee
• The Delicious Life blog