Growing up in Nigeria, salt was treated with reverence. It wasn’t just a seasoning; it was a warning and a lesson. It was put on the tongue of a newborn as part of the naming ceremony to declare the child’s life would be have the flavours of salt. Honey was used to declare that the child’s life would be sweet as honey, and alligator pepper – a type of peppercorn – was used to talk about the spiciness of life.

Salt was brought to family meetings during the ‘meet the parents' events before wedding plans take off.

Salt is powerful enough to make its presence and absence felt on any dish. Add too little and your food is flat; too much and your lips would be smarting and you’d be sipping water until bedtime. But when you get it just right, it allows every ingredient to dance.

Salt is possibly the most powerful ingredient in your kitchen, and yet it often gets taken for granted. With a pinch here and a sprinkle there, salt becomes a shapeshifter changing the flavour profiles of food. My mum always ate her avocado with a sprinkle of salt.

It can soften bitterness, balance sweetness, highlight acidity and amplify umami. It’s the one ingredient that doesn’t add flavour of its own, but makes everything else taste more like itself. Salt should not be noticed, which means when food is properly seasoned, salt’s presence is not tasted; instead all the other flavours are on full display.

The question is: how well do you leverage salt as an arsenal in your kitchen?

Let’s start with the basics. There’s the everyday table salt fine, uniform and perfect for baking where precision matters. I can’t remember the last time I bought table salt, but the price point makes it a shopping basket staple.

But beyond that, there’s a whole salty world to explore.

Types of Salt and How to Use Them

Kosher salt is a chef’s best friend. It’s coarse, easy to grab, and perfect for seasoning meat because it draws out moisture gently without overpowering.

Sea salt, harvested from evaporated seawater, varies by region. Maldon salt, from Essex, has those beautiful pyramid flakes that add crunch and sparkle when sprinkled on grilled vegetables or roast potatoes.

Then there’s Himalayan pink salt which is Instagram’s favourite salt. It’s not just pretty – it contains trace minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium. It’s wonderful in dry rubs or used as a finishing salt.

Smoked salt? That’s a whole vibe. A smoked sea salt and maple syrup butter will turn a humble corn-on-the-cob into something you’d write home about. Use it on grilled meats, charred sweetcorn, or even in your scrambled eggs for a smoky depth without needing a BBQ.

I mostly use smoked sea salt for the smokiness it lends to my dishes. And we can’t forget that on our doorsteps is Yorkshire Sea Salt, who also now have their smoked salt which is utterly beautiful.

Kalahari Desert salt from Southern Africa is sun-dried, pure and mineral-rich, and seaweed salt brings natural umami and iodine to the table – perfect for finishing seafood or tofu dishes.

And don’t forget flavoured salts. Truffle salt, citrus salt, chilli salt – the list is endless. These are lovely for finishing dishes like boiled eggs, risottos or roast vegetables. Last year, my son bought some expensive wagyu beef and he reckoned it deserved truffle butter and gold salt. When I unpacked his shopping to cook, I was intrigued by the gold salt, which brought a touch of luxury to the dish and would grace any dinner party nicely.

Salt’s Beautiful Balancing Act

One of salt’s superpowers is in desserts. Ever had salted caramel? That glorious sticky-sweet invention was originally a French pastry chef’s happy accident when salt was added to tone down sweetness, but the result was a revelation. Salt tempers bitterness in dark chocolate, makes strawberries taste even juicier, and balances richness in buttery treats.

In Nigerian cooking, we often use ingredients like stock cubes, fermented locust beans (iru), dried fish or crayfish which are all salty in nature. They don’t just bring salt, they bring story, memory and layers of umami.

Seasoning Tips

• Season from a height – This isn’t just chef flair. Sprinkling from about 10 inches up helps the salt distribute more evenly, avoiding clumps.
• Taste as you go – Salt builds. What tastes bland at the start might be perfect after reducing.
• Don’t forget finishing salts – A final sprinkle of Maldon salt just before serving can transform a dish with texture and brightness.
• Season your pasta water like the sea – Yes, it’s true. Pasta absorbs the water it’s cooked in. If the water isn’t seasoned, your pasta starts behind before it even meets the sauce.
• An old wives’ tale says: If your soup’s too salty, throw in a peeled potato. It doesn’t fix everything, but it does absorb some salt, giving you a second chance. A dash of acid can also help for the right dish.

Salt is, in many ways, memory. It reminds us of ocean breezes, of the crackle of firewood in village kitchens, of a grandmother’s stew pot that simmered slowly but surely.

So next time you cook, pause for a moment before you reach for that salt. Think about the kind of salt that would bring the most joy to your food. Let it enhance, not dominate. Let it be part of the flavour story.

Try swapping out your regular salt this week. Use smoked salt on your eggs, truffle salt on your chips, or seaweed salt on grilled salmon. Finish your sea bass with Aleppo chilli flakes, sumac and seaweed butter. Notice how the flavour shifts as you experiment with different combinations.

Keep tasting, keep exploring and whatever you do, always season with love.