Kosher Salt vs Sea Salt: What’s the Difference?
Learn what they're best for, and whether you can substitute one for the other.
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By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.
At first glance, kosher salt and sea salt might appear similar. But you’ve likely heard enough cooks wax poetic about their preferences. So, what exactly is the difference between kosher salt and sea salt? And how do you use each? Here’s everything you need to know about kosher salt and sea salt, including whether you can substitute one for the other.
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What Is Kosher Salt?
Kosher salt is a fairly large-grained, coarse salt that was originally used in the process of making meat kosher.
Kosher salt is often called for to season boiling pasta water, brines and large cuts of protein. Kosher salt is also favored by cooks because its uniform, large, coarse crystal size makes it easier to control when you’re sprinkling it to season ingredients. A word to the wise: kosher salt’s crystal size varies from brand to brand, making some saltier overall per tablespoon. Be sure to read recipes and cook’s notes carefully for the brand or salt size and adjust accordingly. For more info, check out our primer What is Kosher Salt?
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What Is Sea Salt?
Sea salt is salt that has been produced by evaporating salt water from oceans or lakes into crystals.
Sea salt is often used as a finishing agent to enhance flavors and add a subtle texture to both savory and sweet dishes, such as seared steaks, roasted vegetables, chocolate chip cookies or tarts. Different types of sea salts get their distinct characteristics depending on where they’re harvested, such as dense, gray sea salt from Brittany, France (sel gris) or flaky, white sea salt with pyramid-shaped crystals from Maldon.
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Differences Between Kosher Salt vs Sea Salt
There are several differences between kosher salt and sea salt, including how they’re harvested, their appearance, how they’re used and how much they cost.
Harvesting: Kosher salt is harvested from underground salt deposits while sea salt is made by harvesting salt water and drying it to form crystals.
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Size: Kosher salt is large, and because it’s industrially processed, it’s more uniform in size. Sea salt crystals can be fine, flaky, chunky or coarse.
Appearance: Kosher salt crystals are coarse and pebble-shaped, whereas sea salt is more delicate and crystals can take on a flaky or pyramid-like shape.
Use: Kosher salt is typically used to season ingredients in everyday cooking applications during the cooking process. Sea salt is often used as a finishing ingredient, like adding it to a dish just before serving or sprinkling on desserts. Some bakers prefer fine sea salt for baking.
Price: Sea salt tends to be more expensive than kosher salt because its natural processing is more time-consuming. Sea salt can also cost more depending on where the salt water was harvested.
Can You Substitute Sea Salt for Kosher Salt?
Yes, you can substitute sea salt for kosher salt since its makeup, size and density is similar to that of kosher salt. However, sea salt’s flake sizes vary so kosher salt is often preferred for its consistency. If you’re subbing sea salt for kosher salt, lean more towards flaky or coarse sea salt, or start with a little less fine sea salt to begin with. The golden rule of tasting as you cook and adjusting seasoning accordingly still applies, no matter what kind of salt you use.
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