Ah, salt and pepper — the ultimate kitchen dynamic duo! 🧂⚫⚪ They’re simple, but they’re essential for flavoring almost everything. Here’s a breakdown of their uses, differences, and tips:
🧂 Salt
Types
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Table salt – fine, often iodized, dissolves quickly.
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Kosher salt – coarser, easy to pinch, great for seasoning meat.
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Sea salt – from evaporated seawater, sometimes with minerals and flaky texture.
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Himalayan pink salt – mineral-rich, slightly different flavor, mostly for finishing.
Uses
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Enhances natural flavors of food
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Balances sweetness and bitterness
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Helps with brining and preserving
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Improves texture in baked goods
Tips
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Always taste as you go — too much salt can’t easily be fixed.
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Use coarse salts for finishing, fine salts for cooking.
⚫ Pepper
Types
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Black pepper – ground from unripe peppercorns, pungent and slightly spicy.
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White pepper – ripe peppercorns with skin removed; milder, common in light sauces.
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Green pepper – unripe, mild, often pickled or freeze-dried.
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Pink peppercorns – not true pepper, mild and fruity.
Uses
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Adds heat and depth
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Balances flavors
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Can be used fresh (cracked or ground) for maximum aroma
Tips
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Grind black pepper fresh for the best flavor
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Add early when cooking for a milder infusion, or at the end for a punchy finish
💡 Fun Fact
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Salt is mostly about enhancing, pepper is mostly about adding character. Together, they’re the foundation of seasoning in almost every cuisine.
If you want, I can make a quick guide on how to season like a pro with just salt and pepper for meat, veggies, and eggs — it’s surprisingly powerful