Is There Salt in Your Shaker?

Designer salt is now hitting our tables as salt use in the United States continues to grow. Jesus said that salt can lose its flavor. He obviously hadn't tasted "beach salt." What did he mean?

“Pass the salt.”

It used to be a simple request.

Nowadays, people are getting more serious about their salt. Doctors are telling us to move from a dump to a dash of salt on our food to stem an epidemic of high blood pressure among the French fry faithful. Scientists estimate that the average human needs somewhere between about two—thirds of a pound and 16 pounds of salt a year to stay healthy — on the lower end of that scale if you’re less active and more if you are active in a hot climate. Salt deficiency can cause lightheadedness, headaches, weakness, nausea and, if the deprivation lasts long enough, even death. Too much salt, however, can have the same effect.

To put it all back in balance, some of the more gourmet—conscious among us are trying to get a better grip on the salt shaker. Rather than continually dumping more of the white stuff out of that blue carton, it’s now more chic to sprinkle a few grains of multicolored natural sea salt...