We eat it every day, whether knowingly or hidden in almost every common food. But what is salt, really?

We’re all familiar with the white sprinkles coming out of the shaker, but did you know that there are many types of salt, and not all are white? There’s tan, pink, black, red, gray and even green salt.

Salt, a crystalline blend of sodium and chloride, can be derived from sea water or from the earth (through salt mining), and it is the only “rock” that humans eat. Depending on how it’s processed, flakes and crystals can be very fine up to nugget size. Salts vary not only by the size of the granules and color, but also by their texture and flavors. Flavor is influenced by how the salt is processed and the minerals contained within.

Some salt types have minerals added to them, such as iodine, and others have anti-caking agents to keep the crystals from clumping together. Check the label before purchasing if you’re looking for a purer variety.

Here’s a look at some common salts you might want to add to your kitchen arsenal, according to SaltWorks, a Woodinville, Washington-based salt company, and other salt experts.

Black salts

Also known as kala namak, this salt is mined in India and has a slightly sulfuric flavor. Its coloring can range from brown to black. Other black salts come from Hawaii and contain small amounts of charcoal, which creates the color and unique flavoring.

Coarse/grinder salt

Large chunky crystals of coarse salt are ideal for use in a salt grinder. Unlike its finer cousins, coarse salt is more resistant to moisture and doesn’t cake during storage. It’s ideal for making salt crusts on meats and adding fresh-ground flavor to other foods.

When grinding salt, be sure that the grinder has ceramic or plastic blades, as salt can corrode metal grinding blades.

Fleur de sel

Sometimes known as the “caviar of salts,” this is a premium salt, both in availability and in price. True fleur de sel comes from a specific region in France and is harvested and processed by hand using only wooden tools and traditional Celtic methods. Because the harvest is weather dependent, one batch can be produced per year. It goes without saying that the cost reflects the handwork involved in the process.

Gourmet salts

Cooks around the world embrace the use of gourmet salts in their food preparation, and you’ll find salts of all sorts that fit the bill to impart unique flavors. Salts can be smoked to add superb flavor to meat or fish, they can be combined with other spices and flavorings, including chili, lime, lemon or even chocolate, and they can be custom blended with onions, garlic, etc., for unique flavor combinations.

Himalayan pink salt

This light pink salt is harvested from Pakistan, which houses the second-largest salt mine in the world. It contains trace amounts of iron oxide, which gives it the characteristic color, adding interest when it tops food. Containing lower amounts of sodium than other types, the flavor is slightly different from traditional salt versions. This salt in its coarse form works well in salt grinders.

Kosher

Coarse white crystals make kosher salt a favorite of cooks everywhere, as it’s easy to “add a pinch” when you can hold the individual crystals in your fingertips. The crystals dissolve quickly, imparting their flavor to everything from meat to popcorn. Use kosher salt on soft pretzels and around the rim of margarita glasses.

The salt itself isn’t kosher — the name derives from the fact that it is used in curing meat, a step in the koshering process.

Pickling salt

Used for brining things such as pickles, sauerkraut or poultry, fine-grain pickling is more concentrated than coarser salts, so less is needed compared to other salt types. It is the purest of salts, as there is no iodine or anti-caking agents added to it. Why? These can make pickles an unappetizing color.

Popcorn salt

Ground very finely to adhere to popcorn kernels, this family favorite can also be combined with other flavorings such as powdered butter, cheddar cheese, dill or onion.

Rock salt

Mined from the earth, rock salt is not often used for flavoring food, though some varieties can be consumed. These large chunky crystals are used in an ice cream maker to help the dessert freeze quickly, or they can be sprinkled on an icy driveway to help with melting for safer trekking. Because it has minerals and other impurities in it, rock salt is often a gray color. It’s sold in supermarkets and also at hardware stores.

Sea salt

Sea salt, as its name implies, is from the ocean, gathered off coastlines worldwide. Typically, sea salt is processed with sun drying and not refined, so there are trace minerals present in the finished product.

Crystal sizes can vary from fine to coarse, and the size of the crystals affects how quickly the salt dissolves in liquid.

Depending on the where the salt comes from and how it’s processed, it may not always be white. Mineral content also changes color. For example, Hawaiian sea salt can be red or pink due to the iron content.

Sea salt is also available in flaked form, much of it produced off England’s Essex coastline and marketed under a popular brand name Maldon. Because the finishing process involves using sun and wind to evaporate the water, flaked sea salt offers a more briny flavor than that of its crystalline cousins, and the flakes are soft, making them dissolve rapidly.

Table salt

This type of salt is found in the average kitchen and used daily by most people to add or enhance flavors. Usually from mines, this type of salt is refined, meaning it’s stripped of inherent minerals during processing. Artificial iodine is sprayed over the crystals to produce the commonly available iodized salt mass marketed by Morton and other brand leaders. Table salt is also available in a noniodized form, so read labels carefully when purchasing.

— Reporter: gwizdesigns@aol.com