The word “salt” hides a measurement problem.
Salt crystals can be compact, hollow, flaky, damp, coarse or fine. That means two tablespoons of different salts can contain very different masses of sodium chloride. Recipes that specify only “1 tablespoon kosher salt” without a brand can therefore be less precise than they appear.
Fleur de sel: a finishing salt
Fleur de sel is traditionally valued for its delicate crystals and the way those crystals remain perceptible when scattered at the end of cooking. Use it where texture matters: tomatoes, eggs, buttered bread, chocolate desserts, grilled vegetables or simply good olive oil.
Sea salt: a category, not a single product
Sea salt describes origin more than crystal geometry. Fine sea salt can disappear evenly into dough or sauce. Coarse and flaky sea salts are better suited to specific cooking or finishing tasks. Always look at the crystal before deciding how to substitute it.
Kosher salt: excellent for the hand, variable by volume
Many cooks like kosher salt because the crystals are easy to pinch and distribute. But different brands can occupy very different volumes at the same weight. For professional formulas, brines and baking, grams are the cleanest language.
The Lello Culinary Reference includes brand-specific salt weight examples and international measurement tools. Use those values as working references, not as a reason to ignore the label on the salt in front of you.
