This Is The Worst Type Of Salt For Cocktail Rims
Few things trump sipping a margarita from a perfectly rimmed glass. As the citrusy drink traverses the salt and lands on your palate, there's an unrivaled explosion of flavor. Turns out, the salt isn't just used to festoon the glass; it serves a culinary purpose as well.
The Kitchn explains that salt is used to balance out the tartness of the lime, the warm, peppery quality of the tequila, and the sweetness of the Triple Sec or Cointreau. But don't race to your spice rack just yet: Not every salt in your pantry will suffice.
Martha Stewart explains that table salt — the iodized variety that's often housed in a shaker next to the pepper — isn't the best salt for the job. The magazine explains that table salt is too fine and will likely land in, and subsequently overpower, your perfectly mixed cocktail. The Cookful agrees and asserts table salt oversalts the glass, gets clumpy, and can ruin your finest margarita. The goal is to experience the contrast of salt with the acidic citrus and bite of tequila in the drink, not something akin to a bodysurfing fail.
Table salt is out, kosher salt is in
Kosher salt is prized for its crystal-like grains and ability to cling to the rim of a glass without falling in. According to Little Potatoes, kosher salt (nicknamed "rock salt") comes from salt mines and is less processed than table salt, so the grains are chunkier, larger, and uneven. And if you're wondering why it's dubbed "kosher salt," Bon Appétit explains that the salt's coarse grains are ideal for drawing moisture from meat, making it an ideal choice for koshering.
A Couple Cooks likes kosher salt for its ability to intensify the sweet and sour flavors of a margarita, making the concoction seem that much brighter. For an even livelier experience, they suggest spiking your kosher salt with the zest of fresh limes and oranges. Culinary Hill agrees and asserts that kosher salt tempers any bitterness in the drink, making it an excellent choice for the rim. For an added flavor boost, they suggest enhancing your kosher salt with dried lime and orange zest (baking the zest concentrates the flavor) and a pinch of sugar.
If tonight is margarita night and you already have sea salt, don't fret. Delighted Cooking explains that sea salts are coarse because they're harvested from large ponds where they are allowed to evaporate slowly (with an occasional raking). This slow evaporation process allows the salt to form large, uneven crystals with "many faces." Sounds like a great addition to the rim as well.