Hi everybody, I've heard some concerns, so let me make something really clear: Rendering meat kosher is a complicated process of which this salting procedure I demonstrate in the video is simply one phase. As I mentioned in the vid, there's the butchering process to consider, and more. This video is not about how to make meat compliant with Jewish dietary law - it only engages with that topic in as much as it is relevant to the historical origins of "Kosher salt" as a marketing term for coarse salts, which is what the video is about. If you really want to learn how to make food suitable for a religion, I am not your man! Here's one thing I think I got wrong: OU regards Morton table salt as "not Kosher for Passover," which is a much more specific and narrow designation than "not Kosher." And certainly iodine is not the only factor they consider there, which is why I said the salt is not Kosher "for a few reasons." Writing these videos is always a balancing act between giving enough context to maintain accuracy, and cutting out details that would make the video last forever. I often have to use phrases like "one of the reasons" or "among other things" to communicate that what I'm mentioning is part of a much bigger thing, but it's not the particular thing we're talking about today. Regardless, "not Kosher for passover" is a much more specific thing than "not Kosher" - that much I definitely got wrong. And certainly, don't come to me looking for authentic Hebrew pronunciations! As always, I generally try to use the most proximate anglicization for non-English words. Whether I got to the closest proximate anglicization on Chabad, I'm not sure! I'm hearing no? [UPDATE] The consensus below seems to be that "h" is a better anglicization than my "sh" for the throaty Hebrew "ch." If anybody has more concerns along these lines, I'll try to update this pin accordingly. [UPDATE] People seem to think my video gave the impression that Jews frequently kasher meat themselves. That was not my intention, and it isn't the case. Kashering is generally part of the kosherbutchering process, and is done by pros before consumers buy the meat. (At least, that is the case in highly developed economies - I imagine it might be different in a traditional agrarian context.) When I mentioned in the video that public health authorities frown on washing meat at home, some people took that as an implication that kashering is commonly done in the home. I understand how I might have unintentionally given that impression. FWIW, my intent was only to explain why I, in demonstrating kashering in my own kitchen, was violating the very public health advice that I was promulgating in this recent video I did on meat washing: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b5Z-l8KnzZndm2w.html

THANK YOU! I'm Australian and this whole kosher salt had me thinking Americans baptised their salt into different religions, and wondering why the heck that would be a thing.

Adam has a preternatural knack for finding video topics that I didn't know I wanted to learn about until I read the title.

Important correction: *all* salt is Kosher, by definition; the iodized version isn't kosher *for Passover* which is very different from not being kosher. Passover has its own set of dietary laws, and a lot of things that are kosher year round aren't kosher for Passover, e.g. leavened bread :)

I hear this word non-stop from Binging with Babish and have actually unironically literally never heard of it in my entire life outside of that context of his youtube channel.

Before I found your channel I would have been surprised to see someone talk about salt for 16 minutes

I think these advantages of kosher salt are mostly from the fact that you are handling the salts in a way more optimal for kosher salt - pinching them, and this most likely comes from habit of using kosher salt. As someone using exclusively table salt, I never pinch salts. If I use shaker on the table side, I have pretty good feeling of how much salt comes out each shake. For cooking, I have little container of salt with little spoon, so consistent measurement and application is never a problem.

Thank you. I’m from England and I’d never heard of kosher salt until I came to the US and I’ve been very curious about what it was and you’ve helped me tremendously. By reading through your own comments, it seems that many people have been very critical and I feel sad about that. You were trying to be helpful and you were. Thank you!

I assumed kosher salt was called "kosher" because it wasn't iodized. I never knew it was coarse due to the reasons you explained. As a professional cook, I always understood that we used coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) was because it was easier for us to control the amounts we use when salting food with our hands. Iodized salt has smaller grains so it's really much harder to control and eyeball the actual amount of sodium we're using in our dishes.

As a European, this kosher salt thing have been a great mystery for me. Thank you very much for explaining!

"What is Kosher salt?" Salt that has been circumcised.

I'm always blown away by all your home work and research for your videos. Very informative and much appreciated. Thank you Sir.

My husband worked in a large salt field area for 26 years. Sodium Chloride is salt as you said. Pink, white, blue or green, all the same basically. Interesting explanation, thanks!

As a European, I really like about your video that you go the lenght and explain the differences between the US and European customs and naming. I miss that from other videos. You do really cater to a public on both sides of the Atlantic. (Edit: a letter, as suggested)

I'm a european chef and I've always used flaky salt for salt curing for the reasons stated but I was always so confused as why some salt was jewish and some wasn't. thanks

I'm so glad I found this channel. It combines cooking with science and history while still being entertaining. I'm a decent cook, but, I'm learning so much.

I'm loving these instructional / informational videos as much as the cooking. great stuff!

As a european, who loves to cook and has read a lot of American recipes, that was the single greatest piece of cooking-knowledge I’ve ever seen! I have always wondered what kosher salt was and couldn’t by the love of it, find anything online that would explain it. Until now! So thank you!

Adam: I bought this damn microscope, you best believe I’ll make use of it!

Concise, honest, unbiased, engaging - as always. Thanks for your content

Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to explain kosher salt. I had no idea why all American recipes asked for it as in the UK and Europe we’ve never heard of it! Here in France “sel de guerande” is the go to choice for home cooks and chefs. For final seasoning we use “fleur de sel” and it really does taste of the sea.

In Spain it's just called "sal fina" (fine/smooth/thin salt) and "sal Gorda" (fat/thick salt)

My Austrian grandmother (born in 1904) called coarse salt 'cooking salt' vs the fine one you use at the table, thus table salt.

Thank you! Well done. This video is professional quality. Both audio and visual work is excellent.

This was WAY more informative than i had expected. Thank you! Great video.

i needed this video for years

those scenes of white powder on a jeweler's scale is going to blow up the Adam YTP genre...

your sponsor transitions are so on point everytime... good work love your videos. the culinary stuff combined with science stuff. keep it going.

Thank you SO MUCH for this video. I watch a lot of cooking videos and I always wondered why some recipes and chefs would opt for kosher salt. I didn't understand the difference and even with watching other videos I felt they lacked the details for me to properly understand. This video broke it down perfectly! Thanks 😊

I needed this video so much. Me: "I can't find Korsher salt anywhere!" Adam: "It's only called Kosher salt in the US. It's coarse flaky salt". Me: "Ohh... I already have that stuff in my home. Thanks!"

In France, we have what we call fine salt (Sel fin) and "Big" salt (Gros sel), which, as the name implies, is just bigger salt crystals. Apparently, our "Gros sel" seems to be kind of the equivalent of Kosher salt, but it's very common in households here. We use it all the time on meat for example. Fine salt is mostly used at the table, or when you just need a pinch of salt in a recipe like cake or salad dressing (vinaigrette).

I love your content Adam. So precise.

In Italy we call it sale grosso (thick salt), normally we use it to salt water for pasta, to salt focaccia ecc...

my dad worked for morton salt in high school in the 70s, they had him lowered on a cord into these huge silos knocking salt crystals off the sides

6:36 the absolute chaos hand in hand with calm voice over is something of beauty

I wish we'd just keep the "kosher" out of it and call it what it is: coarse salt. This would really emphasize what the value proposition is, and might even help dispel some popular-but-incorrect beliefs about healthiness.

Thank you! As a British cook I've always wondered about this topic!

I love when Adam's kitchen turns into like a grade 6-12 science lab, complete with scratched-down notes.

First off, very impressive summary of Kashrut for someone who didn't grow up with it. The only thing that you got (a bit) wrong is the part where you talked about how the requirement to rinse the meat is contrary to food-safety guidelines. That is certainly true, but it's not actually relevant to the typical kosher kitchen. The reason is that this entire process is not done in the home, but rather at the butcher and/or slaughterhouse. As you are now aware, Kashrut is so complex that the process is monitored from farm all the way to the grocery store. By the time you buy it, it's already totally kashered and can simply be prepared and eaten just like a non-kosher piece of meat. Not additional salting or rinsing is necessary.

Your channel is a little treasure I’m glad I stumbled on. 👍

Question answered! Thank you. Excellent presentation.

Something to add here: Kosher salt has no Idodine (as the video mentions). Iodine kills bacteria and stops fermentation. That's why you want to use kosher (or iodine free) salt for fermentation. Learned that the hard way (RIP my miso from 2019)

Im from London and the question of 'what is kosher salt?' Has plagued me for at least 3 years. I love to cook and use KZfaq a lot for recipes. Iv tried using Google but there has never been a clear answer. Thank you so much for a clear and simple answer. You have put my mind and ease!

Your ability to transition into an ad is flawless. Its an art.

10:55 had me going "USE A SPOON, YOU MANIAC"

In Chile and Argentina they call it "sal parrillera" which literally translates as "grill salt". Both countries have a long tradition of outdoors cooking and it's particularly focused on meats.

Hey Adam, I think it would be very interesting to see an episode on nutritional yeast! Most people who go vegan say they really love it and that it was a great discovery, but not many seem to know wtf it even is haha

Wow! This video is way more educational than I thought! Great job, I learn a lot🤟🏿

This video was very educational and extremely awesome!

Singaporean here. Was confused as heck trying to get kosher salts for recipes. This was a video that I SOOOOO desperately needed!

This might sound weird but can you do a video of how to properly/scientifically clean after cooking/eating? How to wash dishes, basically. Should you soak? should you rinse/drain your sponge with cold water? When should you use an iron sponge? Do you have to use soap if there's only cookie crumbs on the plate? Etc.

Just an amazing & educational video. Thank you for the detailed research and explanation! 👌🏾❤️

Watching this as a European is a bit like a Panda listening to an eagle talk about its favourite flight manoeuvres.

hey Adam! I'm Jewish and wanted to say that you did an amazing job of portraying that side of things, thank you so much for always doing your research and due diligence

Kosher salt (w/ isopropyl alcohol) is what I've always used for cleaning bongs/pipes. The larger mass of the grains makes it more effective at stripping resin than finer-grain salt.

I love this guys channel, i love learning about what im putting in me body

I'm in Europe, but I love watching Food Wishes videos and I've been wondering about Chef John's persistent use of kosher salt for ages. So thanks for explaining it so clearly (and interestingly).

I've always wondered about what all of the yt chefs talk about when they refer to kosher salt, but never have I dared to ask or google this. So thank you for enlightening me.

Such an interesting video. Thanks Adam!

I love Maldon Sea Salt. I use it for all my cooking and seasoning on the plate. I'm from Kent in England and Maldon is in Essex not that far from me. This is an excellent video. Very informative, thanks!

I am from Russia. And I've had that question from your earliest videos

I've been waiting for this video for three monts. I follow a lot of american recipes 'cause I love american food, and when someone was saying "kosher salt" I didn't know wtf that was. Thank you man, Love from Catania, Sicily

Dude I subscribed after watching 2 videos of yours (this is the 2nd). I love the way you present information, share thoughts and personal experiences, and really just do the homework for us so we can absorb it in a timely manner with only the impactful and important information. For a new chef this content is just perfect for me, appreciate all the work you do man! I will definitely be keeping up/catching up on your videos. Cheers!

Super-informative, extremely well made. Bravo.

Lauren: Adam why is the floor covered in salt Adam: it was too small

adam really just made me watch a 15 minute video whose ultimate conclusion was simply that kosher salt is bigger and easier to use and I loved it

Thank you for clarifying this. I had heard of kosher meat and understood the concept of it, but didn’t understand the kosher salt. Not that it mattered much since I don’t eat meat, but I pondered.

Subscribed after this one video! Thank you for the thorough explanation! 😊

Seeing “Yikes” in the broiler made me laugh lol love you Adam

Adam: "That's what the Morton girl symbolizes" *"So that's what it does"*

This video was more interesting & more informative than I thought it would be

Really cool experiment. Thanks

Hi Adam, I'm a rabbi and I need to clarify what you saw at 1:54: salt with iodine IS kosher but just not kosher for Passover without special Passover certification as it may come from a grain starch that would be problematic on Passover itself.

As a Brit, when I went to NYC I remember kosher salt was one of the first things I looked for in the store just so I could try it. I was always so confused at every recipe calling for it so this video was perfect!

You and I a masters of myoglobin knowledge. Congrats!

This video strikes me as much more important than it seems. Not sure why. Thanks for the awesome content!

10:00 In my experience with fine grained salt vs any type of coarse grain, in general the actual issue is that people sometimes underestimate the amount of salt when using regular salt because its small size makes it dissolve much faster when applied to meat that isn't 100% dry and people cannot see how much salt they have applied as easy. So people that aren't used to it on meat, salt the shit out of it when using that, which ironically seems to be the opposite of how the "Kosher" salt is claimed to work.

As a former chef, I can say the reason why many chefs use kosher salt is that it's more controllable in that it's harder to mistakenly over salt. When you grab a large pinch of kosher, it's actually LESS salt than standard granular. It's a matter of grain size and density. A "pinch" of kosher will have less sodium than a pinch of table salt. The larger grains also have a better tactile feel to them which makes it easier to feel how much you're grabbing because you're usually not looking at the salt bin/cup/holder when you're cooking, and the larger size makes it easier to see as you're adding it to the dish. In a kitchen, you're using it to season dishes far more than dry brining or seasoning meat.

Adam, thank you so much. I've always liked to soak chickens that I'm going to put on the Weber because it assures such a juicy bird. I didn't think of it as a Kosher practice, rather because it was something I learned back when I was a kid. Loved your discussion of Kosher salt.

Thank you. I've had people tell me everything from Kosher salt being deemed Kosher by Jewish authorities on the matter to "all salt is salt." SO: It's KosherING salt, and it's coarse for some very good reasons. Why was this so hard to explain for so many people. I've been using Kosher salt as I've been learning to cook and I see Bobby Flay do it. My mother was a baker so I understand why regular table salt is used their. Such a great video.

I shop at SEAsian markets, and their equivalent of kosher salt is called "natural" or just sea salt, whereas typical table salt is specifically labelled "fine" salt. I like it because the Vietnamese sea salt I get isn't super purified, so it is less salty than most American sea salts so I feel safer just measuring by eye, and it has some interesting other flavours going on.

Thanks Adam! As a Swiss guy who watches tonns of American food tubers, I really *needed* this video.

Diamond Crystal is my personal favorite. I've gotten to the point were I can measure the amounts by feel on my fingers alone, it has the best flaky consistency.

Thanks for salt knowledge with such dedication and research for this amazing ingredient! As I live outside USA and collect salts, I really never understood the obsession with “Kosher” salt. Now I am at peace with my Maldon, Fleur, pyramids, parrilla etc 🎉

Adam brings a very analytical yet journalistic mindset to cooking and I appreciate that very much.

I worked in a Dairy Company and we produced once in a month Kosher Milk. It was a special moment since everytime the Rabbi came and checked our processes. It was funny to me, I was 16 and didnt understand why they did that. I learned a lot from other religions about that and it helped me to get another view

In Germany, you can buy a salt called Saldoro Ursalz mittelgrob, which is a medium coarse stone salt. I've been using it for years with recipes that call for Kosher Salt and it totally works, the weight-to-volume ratio seems identical to Diamond Crystal

As an Israeli, I was very confused when I came across American cooking videos on KZfaq and they mentioned kosher salt. I would have to go out of my way to get salt that isn't kosher, and the kosher ones come in all imaginable varieties, so I really had no idea what they were talking about. Thanks for the video

Rock salt was also one of the few common in grocery stores for years. Ice cream machines were once very popular, especially in the South.

Very interesting and enlightening. Thank you.

Thanks for enlightening me. I learned something that was a mystery to me.

Great video!!! One thing I might add, from a “Kashrus”perspective, when you salt the meat you must hang it or put it on a grate because like you said, it will sit in it’s own juice.

I've been using Kosher salt to cook for about 15 years now, ever since Alton Brown recommended it on Good Eats. And he expressly said it was because it was easier to tell how much you're putting on because you can see the salt, unlike table salt.

I started using it because of Andrew Rea of Binging with Babish and honestly my dishes and seasoning just seem to come out better when I use it. One explanation I've heard is that the larger grains make it harder to accidentally over salt your food. I also like the crunch of the flakes on certain foods.

Wow. Thank you for explaining all of that. I had no idea.

You're spot on with this. I've been hearing about Kosher salt since watching Rachael Ray 20 years ago. So many other US chefs always make a point of mentioning they are using Kosher salt. Never have I seen it in stores in my country though lol

i googled "kosher salt" yesterday, hoping your video to pop up. Was left disappointed that you didn't make a video on it. Today, here we are :)

How very interesting indeed. Thanks from New Zealand!

Thank you for a VERY informative video.

As someone who has had to train countless new cooks, I can tell you it is more common to over-salt with regular table salt. When you're seasoning 6 to 12 pans at a time full of food on hot flaming burners for the entirety of a 3-hour service, you just need that extra accuracy.