Salt is salt, right?

Apparently not, if the latest gourmet trend is any proof.

Salt — that most basic of seasonings that has been used in kitchens across human cultures for thousands of years — has now gone upscale.

In other words, the little girl with the umbrella and yellow rain slicker (instantly recognizable as the symbol of Morton Salt) better look over her shoulder because something’s gaining on her.

On the shelves of gourmet markets in Lawrence, plain old table salt has plenty of competition these days.

Consumers can choose from a variety of all-natural, hand-crafted (even smoked) salts from around the world: everything from Jurassic-era salt formations in Utah to clay salt-collection ponds along the Brittany coast of France to the clear waters off Sicily.

“People are becoming more sophisticated in their knowledge of what salt can do for food. A lot of the TV chefs have introduced the different sea salts to the public as a way to really give good, simple and natural flavors to foods,” says Geri Riekhof, owner of The Bay Leaf, 725 Mass., a gourmet kitchenware store.

Her business carries six kinds of salt gathered from Utah, Sicily, Brittany, the United Kingdom and Portugal.

Each has its own distinctive taste, texture and appearance. Some are flaky; some are fine ground; others are coarse with large crystals.

Specialty salts, such as these from The Bay Leaf, 725 Mass., are the latest trend in gourmet cooking.

The Jurassic Sea Salt from Utah is probably the prettiest: It’s pink.

Others, such as the Anglesley and Trapani sea salts, are snow white. The Celtic sea salt from the Brittany coast — considered by many chefs to be the finest salt in the world — is a soft, pearly gray.

In other words, all salt is not created equal.

“I can definitely tell the difference between these (culinary salts) and Morton Salt,” Riekhof says.

Gourmet salt, especially sea salt, is available at several stores around Lawrence. Prices vary according to the kind and amount of salt you purchase. The Bay Leaf, for instance, sells different types of salt ranging from 5.5 ounces of Anglesley Sea Salt for $10.95 to 21 ounces of coarse sea salt from Portugal for $8.95.

A natural, whole food

Sula Teller knew from her childhood there was something special about good salt.

“My grandmother never ran out of salt. (Relatives) sent it to her from Greece; they sent her almonds, salt and figs,” recalls Teller, chef and director of food services at the Community Mercantile Co-op, 901 Iowa.

“She wouldn’t even let us bring American salt into the house.”

Years later, Teller still prizes the qualities that salt can impart to her own cooking, whether she’s preparing salt-crusted baked fish, homemade gravlax (Scottish-style salmon) or dessert.

“Salt brings out the flavors of food. We make apple pie and put a little sea salt in the apples to bring out the sweetness,” she says.

Teller likes to sprinkle sea salt, which is made by the natural evaporation of sea water, on top of breads, warm pretzels and field greens.

It’s a nice way to “finish” these foods, Teller says.

“Most of the gourmet salts are coming from France and England. There’s a pink Hawaiian salt (alaea, a traditional table salt that contains red clay). It has parts of the lava actually in it. There’s smoked salt, which is put on top of planks of wood and smoked,” she says.

Teller is partial to French sea salts, especially fleur de sel, or “flower of salt,” which is harvested by hand in the Guerrande region of France. It’s often called the caviar of salts.

Specialty salts bring out

Sea salt is a whole food, produced naturally and collected in an artisanal fashion as it has been done for hundreds of years. It retains healthful minerals and trace elements, Teller says.

Typical table salt purchased at the grocery store, which is mechanically mined, chemically processed and stripped of minerals.

The co-op carries eight kinds of sea salt, two of them in the bulk department.

Using culinary salts in cooking, she says, “isn’t about being (a) gourmet. It’s about being sensible.”

Flecked with herbs, seasonings

Culinary salts are a popular item at Au Marche — the European Market, 931 Mass.

The one that’s in the greatest demand is gray sea salt, harvested by hand from salt evaporation ponds on France’s Ile de Re.

“It’s nice because you can use it as it is, or you can put it in a salt mill and grind it. I usually sprinkle it on steak or chicken during the cooking process, almost as a rub. We sell a ton of it,” owner Lora Wiley says.

Another sought-after product is Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel, produced near Provence.

“They use a rake to harvest this particular kind of salt,” Wiley says. “It’s very fine and delicate; you don’t need to grind it. They look like snowflakes. It’s used as a table salt.”

The store also sells a product called Esprit du Sel, which is a sea salt for lamb and game. It contains gray sea salt, pepper, coriander, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. Another type of Esprit du Sel is accented with fennel and Herbs de Provence.

Sea salt is becoming more well-known these days, according to Wiley.

“It’s more readily available, and people are giving it a try. Americans are also health conscious, and sea salt has natural minerals in it.”

World Market, 3106 Iowa, also caters to the growing market for culinary salts.

The store offers six kinds of salt, including an imported, coarse Greek sea salt flecked with parsley, oregano, thyme, chili flakes, marjoram, rosemary and pink and black peppercorns; and an Italian “grigliata” sea salt, for grilling and marinating, that also contains juniper berries, rosemary, pink peppercorns, cinnamon and bay leaf.

“People hear about it (culinary salt) or see it on TV and want to try it themselves. I got my mother the Greek sea salt with the seasonings and a salt grinder,” says Tavis Mitchell, a supervisor at World Market.

“It’s a lot better than — what’s the one with the little girl and the umbrella? It doesn’t have the iodine taste. It’s more flavorful than the Morton Salt.”

Mediterranean Garden Salad Dressing

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) organic, extra-virgin olive oil (see note)

1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon fleur de sel (French sea salt)

1/2 teaspoon Italian basil (dry)

1/2 teaspoon Greek oregano (leaves only)

1 clove fresh organic garlic, crushed in a garlic press

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice.

Add rest of ingredients: sea salt, herbs, garlic, black pepper. Whisk until well blended.

Pour over fresh lettuce salad, and toss lightly. Allow to sit 10 minutes.

Makes enough for 3 to 4 salads.

Note: For extra nutrition, substitute one or both of the following for some of the olive oil: organic pumpkin seed oil or organic hemp seed oil. Both are excellent sources of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.

Source: Greysalt.com.

Prime Rib Roast

1 (3-pound) prime rib roast, first cut, trimmed and tied

1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper

6 tablespoons coarse Alaea (Hawaiian sea salt)

2 cloves minced garlic

3 short ribs, tied

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

To ensure even cooking, roast must first be left at room temperature (about 2 hours) before being placed in the oven. Place oven rack on lower level. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Rub roast all over with salt, pepper and garlic. Transfer to heavy 13-by-16-inch metal roasting pan. Arrange fat side up. Place short ribs in pan. (A nonstick pan will yield fewer cooked-on bits or flavorful juices.)

Cook 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 325 degrees and continue cooking until instant-read thermometer inserted in thick end of roast (not touching a bone) reaches 115 degrees, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. If it hasn’t, return to oven, and check temperature at 10 minute intervals. Transfer roast to platter, and set aside in warm spot for juices to collect. (As roast rests, temperature will increase about 10 degrees.) Do not tent or crust will get soggy. Adjust oven to 425 degrees.

Pour fat and all drippings out of pan into a fat separator and set aside. Place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Pour red wine into pan; scrape bottom with wooden spoon, scooping up crispy bits to deglaze pan. Cook until reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Place a fine sieve in medium heat-proof bowl. Pour juices into strainer. Using wooden spoon, press down on solids to extract juices. Discard solids. Cover bowl lightly; keep warm by placing in barely simmering saucepan with 1 inch water.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: www.seasalt.com.

Ultimate Grilled Steaks

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sel gris (French sea salt), coarse

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried toasted onion

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

3 rosemary sprigs, optional

Combine all ingredients in glass bowl or cup. Rub onto both sides of steak. Let stand 1 to 4 hours.

Grill as usual.

Source: www.seasalt.com.

Salt-Packed Oven Roasted Salmon

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

4 skin-on salmon fillets, 3 to 5 ounces each (see note)

1 cup Salish alder smoked sea salt

3 cups coarse sea salt (sterling or sel gris, coarse. See note)

Freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Add salmon fillets, skin side down, about 1 inch apart; cook just until skin crisps, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Pour salt, working quickly around and over each fillet, mounding it slightly and patting it gently to ensure each fillet is covered completely. (Use the smoked salt on the top of each salmon fillet.) Transfer skillet to oven; roast until it’s cooked through and flakes easily, about 10 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven. Carefully brush away salt from top of salmon, using clean towel or spatula. (The top of the salmon should appear rare, but the sides should be light pink and opaque.) Carefully transfer each fillet and surrounding salt, using spatula, to rimmed baking sheet. Brush away all remaining salt, using a towel. Transfer fillets to individual plates, season with pepper to taste. If desired, drizzle with oil to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: Do not use oily sockeye salmon with this technique. Do not substitute kosher or table salt for coarse sea salt.

Source: www.seasalt.com.