Question
Hilda P J
I have a jar of dried kelp, but don’t know how much to use to equal salt. Is the sodium content just as high? Any others?
Answer
So the salt content of kelp will not be as high as sugar-- or not sugar, as salt. There will certainly be some residual saltiness or salinity from the ocean waters, but it's going to be much, much lower than straight salt. You can find some products that have salt mixed in, and I've got a sample or two of products that are very fine salt flakes, I'll call them. They're kind of coarsely ground. I said salt flakes, I'm sorry, kelp flakes with some salt added, and then another sample that's just straight kelp, and the saltiness is very different. So give it a try. I think one of the other advantages of using kelp in any form, it could be in a ground form as I've tried to describe here. It could be just small pieces that you cut and add to the dish that you're making. Or if you're creating some liquid, like a soup base or a stew base or a broth of some sort, you can steep or gently simmer some kelp or kombu and then remove that. And so you're making a stock made of kelp. And any of those are going to have umami. And so umami is one of those tastes, along with saltiness and sweetness, that adds a sense of fullness and satisfaction on the palate and also on the brain, just like all these things do, right, as the chemical connection with our brain is concerned. So, in addition to the salt, you're getting these other layers of taste, which contribute to the overall sense of satisfaction of that dish that you're making. So do keep that in mind when you use kelp or kombu, to use the Japanese term. Okay? In terms of other salt substitutes, there is a product from the grocery store, and it's a different type of a salt. So it's not sodium, it's potassium something, and it's sold as a salt substitute. So you might consider that. Also, I've seen at the grocery store what appears to be-- it presents like a kind of a medley of dried herbs and even vegetables that are cut up into very, very small pieces. All this is dried, and so you can sprinkle this into something that's moist in order to rehydrate these very small pieces. And again, it functions similar to the way that I tried to explain kombu or kelp just a moment ago, where you have all these different items. There are garlic and onions and bell pepper and some herbs mixed in that all contribute to these different aspects of taste and flavor, with some umami and other stimulating elements of taste and flavor, that'll provide that satisfaction that your palate and your brain looks for without specifically using salt. Okay, now the other side of this coin or this discussion is the idea of allowing yourself to become used to less salt in your cooking. Okay, so we need to take this two-pronged approach where we use these other flavor and taste layering approaches, but also to give your body some time to adjust to the change that you're trying to make with less salt in the diet. And a big part of the psychology here is to focus on the elements that are present in the eating experience. So focus on the flavors, the tastes, the aromas, the textures that are present rather than the elements that are missing. Okay, so that focus makes a difference as well. So hopefully you can roll all that up into a formula that works for you, giving yourself ample time to adjust to the process. Thank you.
