Approach this question with a grain of salt. Or hell, a whole tablespoon.

November 12, 2008 2:19 PM

Salty questions: salty drinks, and non-iodized salts and health effects.

First question: I'm a salt freak. I can't get enough of it. I also get thirsty fairly often, but then the solution is either water/tea, or sugary drinks, and I'm no sweets fan. So what better solution that salty drinks?

Googling for "salty drinks" revealed results for salty cocktails and spirits, but I don't drink alcohol. Nor is dumping a salt capsule in a water bottle very, uh, savory. So fellow salt-lovers, what non-alcoholic liquidy options do I have besides soups? What can I carry around in a bottle and drink to my pleasure anywhere I go? Restaurant recommendations, simple recipes, and grab-and-go are welcome.

(Yeah, I know the idea of a "salty drink" may seem contradictory, and too much sodium is bad, but damn, drinking plain water/tea gets, well, boring...)

Second question: I researched iodine and its benefits to human health, and wondered if I'm getting enough, or if it's even a concern here in the US. I don't eat out much, so my only prominent sources of salt is homemade stuff, and I only have kosher (non-iodized) salt and soy sauce. I do buy sliced ham/salami and cheese sometimes for making sandwiches, but they're not consumed every day. Maybe once every one or two weeks I'll eat instant ramen, which, as you may all know, tend to contain a bitchload of sodium.

So, am I getting enough iodine? Should this even be a concern? Even my mom uses non-iodized (sea) salt in her cooking starting from maybe 4 years ago, so I can't count on her cooking for this mineral.

posted by curagea to food & drink (20 comments total)

If you can handle the jokes that your friends are sure to make about you drinking a cupful of thick, white, salty, yogurt-based liquid, you might want to try Salt Lassi. I didn't much care for it, but I don't really like salt unless it's accompanying meat. Some people really seem to like it a lot.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 2:49 PM on November 12, 2008

Gatorade and similar sports drinks tend to have a slightly salty taste from the various electrolytes (read: salts) they're fortified with.
posted by Oktober at 2:49 PM on November 12, 2008

Vietnamese food has a variety of salted drinks. Salty Lemonade, Plum, etc. Check it out, they're good.
posted by rhizome at 2:58 PM on November 12, 2008

Do you just want salt? Or do you like savory drinks, hot and cold?

I love sipping on savory drinks, and thus consume a variety of things people find totally disgusting. They are usually very high in sodium. Among them:

- tomato juice and tomato cocktails (cold), spiked with Worchestershire, with and without vodka.
- Clamato (cold), which is basically tomato juice and clam broth. It's good plain with a little spicy stuff (horseradish or Tabasco, whatever), and it's good mixed with beer - surprisingly refreshing.
- Boullion (hot), from cubes or base.
- Boullion (cold), from cubes or base, poured over ice, with lemon.
- Beef tea (hot), made at home (beef-only stock).
- Marmite and Bovril (hot), just a spoonful stirred into hot water.
posted by peachfuzz at 3:12 PM on November 12, 2008

Yeah, I've come in here to say that Gatorade has always tasted salty and non-thirst quenching to me. I always feel like I need a glass of water after drinking Gatorade. But it always does the trick for a friend who is a salt freak.

Don't go crazy though, it's loaded with sugar.
posted by AlisonM at 3:19 PM on November 12, 2008

Seconding the Bloody Mary. Should still be pretty good without alcohol. A little tapatio (or taco sauce of your choice) turns a great cocktail into the mother of all cocktails.
posted by ElmerFishpaw at 3:22 PM on November 12, 2008

Alton Brown uses Kosher salt almost exclusively in his recipes -- he claims there is a metallic taste to the iodine added to salt, and that Americans get more than enough of it in their regular diet. Just one TV chef's opinion, and I've been using Kosher/sea salt in all of my cooking for several years now with no adverse effects, I'm sure I get enough non-Kosher salt w/iodine from eating out.
posted by sararah at 3:25 PM on November 12, 2008

Go Ask Alice says you're probably getting enough iodine from other dietary sources, and the Wikipedia entry about iodized salt is also pretty interesting re: why they started doing it in the first place.
posted by sararah at 3:31 PM on November 12, 2008

Thai lime soda is quite salty and very tasty. You could put in as much salt as you like.
posted by Cygnet at 4:30 PM on November 12, 2008

V8 and V8 spicy are salty. Gatorade (which I hate) has kind of a salty taste after the initial sweetness wears off. And why not just carry some broth or bullion cubes to add to hot water and drink tea-style?
posted by Brittanie at 5:01 PM on November 12, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

There's an afghani drink called dogh (or dough or doh...) which is made with watery yogurt, mint, cucumber, and salt. I love it, and find it very refreshing, but it definitely takes some getting used to, especially since it should be made with the sourest yogurt you can find. There's a similar Iranian drink too (also called dogh, I think)-- google around for competing recipes.
posted by moonmilk at 5:24 PM on November 12, 2008

Similar to other yogurt drinks mentioned above: aryan.
posted by Shebear at 6:28 PM on November 12, 2008

Funny. Gatorade doesn't do shit to my salt craving, nor does it have any sort of salty taste before, during, or after. Also, sugary drinks makes me more thirsty than before, doesn't matter what. Which is kinda weird.

I love the suggestions. Keep it comin'!
posted by curagea at 6:33 PM on November 12, 2008

What about Miso? It might look strange in a water bottle, but it's pretty dang salty.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 7:13 PM on November 12, 2008

peachfuzz's recommendation of broth is good for my salty beverage fix. I personally enjoy chicken broth.
posted by ktrey at 9:04 PM on November 12, 2008

If you're near an Indian market you might want to go in and ask them if the have any Jal Jeera/Jira (literally cumin water, though people wouldn't know what you meant if you said that). It's a blend of a bunch of spices, including tamarind and black salt. It's very salty. Here's an example of what it looks like -- after mixing and the packaging.
posted by peacheater at 5:52 AM on November 13, 2008

Any fruit drink, especially a tart one (good pomegranate juice, berry juices) with a mixture of salt and black pepper. If you're especially adventurous, try drinks with kala namak. This translates to 'black salt' and is a mineral salt that's traditional drink flavouring in the subcontinent. Very distinctive, might be an acquired taste. You should be able to find it in Indian/ Pakistan/ possible Middle Eastern (there's often an overlap) stores.

Tamarind water is yummy, too, and easy to make. Soak pulpy tamarind in water for a while, squeeze the pulp and seeds out until it's as tart as you like, and flavour with garam masala, chaat masala, salt, kala namak, etc. For bonus points, drink in the form of gol gappa (very thin pastry shells with a few chickpeas scattered inside. Scoop up the tamarind water and cram it into your mouth before the shell disintegrates. Delicious. And for super extra points, add vodka and make them gol gappa shots.
posted by tavegyl at 6:28 AM on November 13, 2008

Oops, sorry, forget about the vodka. Just read the bit about no alcohol. I admit I've never tried it with myself. The gol gappas by themselves suffice me.
posted by tavegyl at 6:29 AM on November 13, 2008

Get Brawndo, the Thirst Mutilator. It's got what plants (and you) crave -- electrolytes.
posted by heffalump at 8:45 AM on November 13, 2008

I guess I forgot to specify a bit, that I'd like drinks that actually TASTES salty. Not "oh, it's got electrolytes, it'll do". As far as I know, drinks with electrolytes don't do the trick. In fact, they seem to make me thirstier.

Seems there's a lot of suggestions for Middle Eastern drinks. I'll ask my ME friends for opinions ^_^.
posted by curagea at 12:14 PM on November 15, 2008