Is Salt a Spice?

Salt is found in the herb and spice aisle, and you probably store it next to your favorite spices. Is salt a spice, or something else?

Salt is not technically a spice, but a mineral. Salt is often paired with other spices (and herbs) in seasoning blends and spice mixes and helps enhance the flavor of foods just like spices do. 

We’ll aim to clear up any confusion about what salt is, why it’s not a spice, and review a few of the most common types of salt next!

What is a spice?

A spice is a (usually dried) part of a plant used to add flavor to foods and drinks. Unlike herbs which come from the leaves of plants, spices are vegetables (and sometimes fruit in the case of cayenne pepper), roots, seeds, bark, and other parts of plants besides the leaves.

Examples of spices include coriander seed (the leaves are the herb cilantro!), cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. While many spices are considered spicy, not all of them are – just look at cumin and onion powder, which provide rich flavor without the heat like cayenne and other hotter spices.

What is salt?

Salt comes in a few forms, but table salt (regular salt) and sea salt are among the most common. All types of salt are made up of sodium chloride, which are electrolytes your body needs to maintain proper fluid balance, hydration, and many other functions in your body.

Table salt comes from salt mining, while sea salt is harvested from the salt in the ocean or sea. Sea salt is considered a bit less processed than table salt and has more natural minerals and slightly less sodium than table salt. [source]

So…is salt a spice?!

Salt is often lumped together with other dried herbs and spices in the spice rack. However, salt is not a spice (or herb) because it doesn’t come from a plant. Technically spice is a mineral, if you were curious what it’s categorized as.

Salt is a flavor enhancer and is often paired with spices to bring out their flavor. Salt is found in spice blends and seasoning mixes like taco seasoning and garlic salt, but by itself, it’s not considered a spice.

How many types of salt are there?

“Salt” is a chemical term, so there are many more types of salt in existence than the ones that are considered salt in a culinary sense. Some of the most popular types of culinary salt (sodium chloride) include:

• Regular salt: also called table salt or iodized salt, this salt has iodine (a trace mineral) added to help prevent iodine deficiency, which can result in thyroid problems.
• Kosher salt: kosher salt isn’t fortified with iodine, so it only contains sodium chloride.
• Sea salt: this salt is harvested from saltwater in oceans and seas by evaporating the water so only salt remains. Sea salt is usually coarser than table salt, but it can also be finely ground like table salt.
• Himalayan (pink) salt: this salt is less processed (similar to sea salt) and is harvested in Pakistan near the Himalayan mountains. Himalayan salt has a higher concentration of certain minerals like potassium and calcium compared to other types of salt.
• Flaked salt: this type of salt has a thinner, more delicate flake compared to the grains or coarser types of salt like sea salt. Flaked salt is ideal for adding as a finishing salt to things like baked goods and foods where you want a bit of crunch.

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