Blair P. Houghton wrote:
> anon k > wrote:
>> What's the advantage in using kosher salt here?
>
> It's flaked, so it lays flat on the surface of the meat and
> between the layers of meat if you layer it.
>
> For seasoning, the flat aspect ratio makes it cover more
> area with a little less salt. The texture of salt can
> make a difference in mouthfeel and the delivery of the
> salty taste. Pickling salt (very fine grained), table salt
> (small cubic grains), coarse salt (large cubic grains),
> rock salt (big chunks), kosher(ing) salt (flaky grains),
> and diamond crystal salt (very light hollow pyramidal
> flaky grains) all bring a different flavoring quality.
>
> There's nothing chemically special about it.
>
> --Blair

The kosher salts that I've looked at have been roughly cubic crystals
rather than flaked. My Jewish friends tell me that its shape makes it
good for drawing blood out of the meat during koshering, and that it has
nothing at all to do with flavoring.

For surface seasoning, the crystal shape makes a big difference. But
from what I can tell, there is no advantage in using kosher salt instead
of a cheaper salt if it's a minor seasoning ingredient being dissolved.
And yet it's so often specified! So what's the mystery?