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Beyond your grandmother's table salt

Many varieties of gourmet salt are finding a place in the kitchens of both everyday cooks and top chefs. Salt occurs naturally around the world as the mineral halite and in seawater and saline (salt water) lakes. All salt contains a mix of sodium and chloride. Salt may also naturally contain small amounts of other minerals, giving it variations in taste. But salt is processed and refined in many different ways, resulting in different textures and colors as well as tastes. Whichever type of salt you enjoy, do so in moderation. Most healthy adults should get no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day — about 1 teaspoon of salt.

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