I had always thought this was a no-brainer until my gf and I purchased a new set. The dark shaker, which I assumed was meant for pepper, had less holes than the lighter shaker, which I assumed was for the salt. I found this very odd!! I pointed it out to a lifetime friend of mine that we had over for dinner the other night.

He replied that the salt shaker was SUPPOSED to have more holes!?!? At first, I figured he was joking... but he wasnt! I was baffled by this!

I did a little research online and have found that there is actually quite a controvery over this!

I think that salt should have less holes. Too much salt is bad for you. I never put more salt on anything than I do pepper.

What do you think?

Fr_Chuck

salt has more holes,

pepper should be in a pepper mill not a shaker anyway.

Also for the best salt, use sea salt, and it is really great in a grinder also, but preground sea salt is still better than regular salt

DrJ

So you dont even use pepper??

kp2171

no... he prefers freshly ground pepper over the preground stuff you can buy. its more pungent and you can sometimes adjust the coarseness of the grinder.

given a choice i also prefer the pepper mill over the shaker. if i need a lot of ground pepper i use a small coffee grinder to get good quality bulk pepper quickly.

and my understanding is also salt into the one with more holes.

Fr_Chuck

The poor american society has lost the grace of fine eating.

In the finer eating places, that does not mean McDonalds in Canada that uses a french menu, but the waiter will add the pepper for you from a pepper mill for your salad or other meal needs.

We have several pepper mills in our home, one small for the table, and a larger one for cooking, and one for hotter pepper.

We also use a salt grinder for sea salt, although lately I have been buying it in the course pre-ground for a shaker with larger holes.

If you have never used either, you have not lived properly.

CaptainForest

I agree with you. The pepper should have more holes!

That being said, Fr Chuck brings up good points.

In my home, we have a salt shaker, but don't have a pepper shaker. Instead, we have a pepper grinder.


And Fr Chuck, all those French signs really do confuse me when I go into McDonald’s

kp2171

it cant be that bad. i know an iranian who pantomimed "french fries" with his fingers to order at McD's when he was in chem grad school at nebraska. =)

CaptainForest

lol

had to look up what "pantomimed" meant, but once I did, I got the joke

pantomimed = Communication by means of gesture and facial expression: Some tourists make themselves understood abroad by pantomime.

kp2171

he was with 6 or 7 other foreign students and his was the best english of the bunch.

he told me he asked for "like this like that" while wiggling his fingers back and forth. i guess they figured it out right away. he laughs about it now.

augustknight

traditionally the salt shaker is the one with more holes. However that said you can use the shakers for whatever can easily come out of the holes. For breakfast some people have cinnamon shakers. Or if you are grilling steak you can make your own concoction and have it ready at the grille.
Also many people put grains of rice in with the salt. This will absorb any moisture allowing the salt to run freely and also since they are larger than the holes they will block a hole or two and thus restrict the volume of salt being poured.
If you have guests, don't do any of these things. Tradition tells us what is in the shaker, people don't like surprises on their food.