Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Retired barber Joe Godlewski says he was inspired by television chefs who repeatedly recommended kosher salt in recipes."I said, 'What the heck's the matter with Christian salt?'" Godlewski said, sipping a beer in the living room of his home in unincorporated Cresaptown, a western Maryland mountain community.
By next week, his trademarked Blessed Christians Salt will be available at http://www.memphi.net, the Web site of Memphis, Tenn.-based seasonings manufacturer Ingredients Corporation of America.
It's sea salt that's been blessed by an Episcopal priest, ICA President Damon S. Arney said Wednesday. He said the company also hopes to market the salt through Christian bookstores and as a fundraising tool for religious groups.
Wait. It gets better:
Godlewski said his salt, packaged in containers bearing bright red crosses, has at least as much flavor and beneficial minerals as kosher salt - and it's for a good cause."The fact is, it helps Christians and Christian charities," he said. "This is about keeping Christianity in front of the public so that it doesn't die. I want to keep Christianity on the table, in the household, however I can do it."
Politics
Comments
I can't imagine this succeeding. Everybody knows that Episcopalians aren't True Christians(TM).
Posted by: Tunde | March 11, 2009 9:32 AM
Wow. That's a whole lot of stupid. You use kosher salt for it's textural properties more than anything else (but I'm sure everyone with a brain and a penchant for cooking knew that already).
And, frankly, the people who are going to buy Jesus salt probably don't need reminders of Christianity in their house. I'm betting there's a big blonde, blue-eyed painting in every room already.
Posted by: Ranson | March 11, 2009 9:37 AM
What if the Episcopal priest blessing the salt was a woman? Or even worse....GAY!? Would it be cursed salt instead?
Posted by: Adrienne | March 11, 2009 9:38 AM
Re Ranson
I always get a kick out of depictions of Sephardic Jew, Joshua of Nazareth, as a Wasp.
Posted by: SLC | March 11, 2009 9:40 AM
"If the salt takes off, Godlewski plans an entire line of Christian-branded foods, including rye bread, bagels and pickles."
LOL. If this takes off, people are even stupider than I thought.
Posted by: Adrienne | March 11, 2009 9:41 AM
"Godlewski said his salt, packaged in containers bearing bright red crosses." Wouldn't Lot's (unnamed) wife be more appropriate? - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | March 11, 2009 9:46 AM
More hiliarity: 1in3Trinity: Christian Energy Drink (warning: obnoxious flash site with loud Christian alt-rock.)
Posted by: jpf | March 11, 2009 9:46 AM
...Godlewski said, sipping a beer in the living room of his home in unincorporated Cresaptown, a western Maryland mountain community.
Must....resist....stereotyping.....
Posted by: Eamon Knight | March 11, 2009 9:49 AM
DJ,
Now that was funny.
Posted by: heddle | March 11, 2009 9:51 AM
Also: Logia Bible Bars!
Posted by: jpf | March 11, 2009 9:52 AM
Great. Homeopathic food.
Posted by: Deepsix | March 11, 2009 10:07 AM
OH OH ... "Christ Wine" - a hearty red with bold flavours.
aaaa "Christ's Own" Blood pudding and sausage.
Deeeee-lish
and a new line of hair jewelry......
Posted by: Kevin | March 11, 2009 10:11 AM
DJ wins this thread by my count.
Posted by: Eric | March 11, 2009 10:13 AM
To quote Ecclesiastes:
Posted by: Amadán | March 11, 2009 10:21 AM
Pedant warning:
Technically speaking, there were no sephardim 2000 years ago. "Sephard", hebrew for "spain", usually describes jews descended from those living in or expelled from the iberian peninsula during the inquisition, around 1492'ish.
Posted by: PalMD | March 11, 2009 10:25 AM
How about a bowl of Ezekiel 4:9® cereal for breakfast?
They also have Ezekiel 4:9® breads and tortillas, as well as a Genesis 1:29® line of breads and English muffins. Mmmmm... exegeticallicious!
Posted by: jpf | March 11, 2009 10:29 AM
A line of saltines would be an obvious addition as well...
Jesus Crackers!
Posted by: Kurt | March 11, 2009 10:29 AM
I don't know about Tennessee, but I know of some states that have enacted consumer protection regulations pertaining to kosher foods (a fertile source of litigation, with some interesting constitutional issues -- short answer, there are ways to do it as long as the state doesn't get to decide what is kosher).* I wonder about the type of consumer protection issues will arise out of Christian Food?
* For example, if the manufacturer says a rabbi passed on the product, the state can make the manufacturer prove that a rabbi actually did do that. Or the state can make you identify the sect, so, for example, Orthodox Jews with stricter kosher standards are aware that they might not consider the food kosher. But the state can't decide whether something actually is kosher.
Posted by: CJColucci | March 11, 2009 10:32 AM
"Godlewski said his salt, packaged in containers bearing bright red crosses." Wouldn't that make it Swiss Salt?
Posted by: (((Billy))) The Atheist | March 11, 2009 10:35 AM
Clearly someone needs to market Scientific Salt.
I have the perfect slogan: More taste, less magic!
Posted by: foole | March 11, 2009 10:42 AM
the bright red cross would make me think its for first aid kits.
Posted by: steve | March 11, 2009 10:43 AM
Kurt - Nah, Jesus Saltines would be ripe for abuse. -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | March 11, 2009 10:50 AM
But... wouldn't Jesus have used kosher salt?
On the other hand, if this is just a case of Old Testament Envy - perhaps Joe Godlewski could develop something actually really really really important to the Christian (and, yes, the Jewish) God - a new form of uber Christian circumcision technique.
It has to be distinctive, something fresh. The new Classic Coke. Cut on the bias, perhaps the a-line approach married to the Corvette side gill slits design (Three slits (of course) in parallel aspect on each side)? Joe says:
"This is about keeping Christianity in front of the public so that it doesn't die."
What could be more 'in front of the public' than a fine rakish Intelligently-Designed Christian penis?
Posted by: Gingerbaker | March 11, 2009 11:00 AM
bright red crosses? crusader salt? can one accuse salt of poor taste?
Posted by: peter | March 11, 2009 11:21 AM
I'm Christian Salt (tm) works great on Freedom Fries (tm).
What no water relabeled as wine?
Posted by: yoshi | March 11, 2009 11:40 AM
Jesus spoke of "the salt of the earth", so I guess sea salt is not ok with him.
But really, the only real Jesus-inspired food should be a special fish sandwich: cut it in 2 pieces and you get 2 whole ones. And again. And again...
Posted by: Christophe Thill | March 11, 2009 11:41 AM
It's kosher salt, not Jewish salt! You don't have to be Jewish to eat kosher salt the same way you don't have to be vegetarian to eat corn. Just because Jewish people can eat kosher salt doesn't mean that eating it means you're personally Jewish. I can't think of the name for that logical fallacy off the top of my head. Can anyone help?
Posted by: catgirl | March 11, 2009 11:44 AM
I can't help but wonder if Godlewski was a little irked that Jews were always getting credit on those cooking shows. I hope he understands that koshering salt is a specific grind of salt with unique properties that make it ideal for prepping meat. Unless his salt has some likewise interesting cooking properties, those cooking shows will continue use kosher salt.
Posted by: Elf Sternberg | March 11, 2009 11:46 AM
Have to admit that some of these products sound better than the typical mass produced junk we all eat. Except for the 3 in 1 energy drink :)
Posted by: Brian M | March 11, 2009 11:49 AM
I've been touting "Blood'o'The Lamb" Petit Syrah for years; now it looks like I'd better register the name.
Deepsix:
"Great. Homeopathic food."
Did you mean "Homopathic"?
Posted by: democommie | March 11, 2009 12:05 PM
Elf Sternberg wrote:
Probably not. It sounds to me like Mr. Godlewski (what a great name, he should put it on the product) is assuming that the cooking shows are pandering to the idea that a rabbi's blessing makes the food taste better, or be better, or something. Thus, he wants to show that Christianity has magic powers that are even stronger -- and probably fantasizes seeing it in restaurants and public school cafeterias ("what violation of the establishment clause? -- it's just salt!")
"Christian salt" is silly -- ditto for rye bread, bagels, and pickles. The guy is Episcopalian.
Christian Mayonnaise. In large economy-sized tubs. Get one for every member of the family.
Posted by: Sastra | March 11, 2009 12:09 PM
Elf - "Unless his salt has some likewise interesting cooking properties, those cooking shows will continue use kosher salt."
Jesus Salt, if ingested, rises again on the third day*. -DJ
*Also don't throw it up into yout toilet, it'll just walk across the water while converting it in to wine. Very messy.
Posted by: DingoJack | March 11, 2009 12:10 PM
Ezekiel 4:9 Bread is actually quite good and is a reasonably priced multigrain bread. Of course, it's referencing a bible verse on the horrible bread of exile that Ezekiel had to eat, but we can ignore that little detail.
I also had to check the Christian salt website from the news brief: "All our ingredients are Kosher Certified"
Posted by: bsci | March 11, 2009 12:11 PM
I assume "Bible Bread" is just phony matzoh. I've never bothered finding out for real.
Posted by: william e emba | March 11, 2009 12:20 PM
Does anyone know how 'kosher salt' is actually made?
I'd assume it involve evaporation of seawater, then a couple of quick magic-spells.
So if you just evaporate seawater it would have exactly the same cooking (and chemical) properties, but would it be 'kosher salt'? - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | March 11, 2009 12:31 PM
Re PalMD
Point taken. Of course, Jews from Arab countries are currently referred to as Sephardic Jews, regardless of whether their ancestors originally came from Spain.
Posted by: SLC | March 11, 2009 12:31 PM
When he comes out with Christian gefilte fish, lox, hot dogs and coconut macaroons for Passover, THEN I'll be impressed. Until then, he's a kosher wannabe.
And an idiot. I guess there aren't too many Jews in his neck of the woods.
Kosher salt is used in koshering meat, to remove excess blood from freshly butchered meat. Chemically, it's just sodium chloride -- nothing special about it. It gets the name "kosher salt" because of its expected use and texture, not because it's been blessed by a rabbi.
The only real difference between kosher salt and the salt in the round container with the little girl on it: kosher salt has no added iodine or anti-caking agents.
Posted by: wheatdogg | March 11, 2009 12:33 PM
wheatdogg - Oh I see. So it's not really the 'kosher' that defines it, merely it's chemical properties. So why not call it .. umm.. salt?
BTW - salting is a very common practice all over the world (think of salted herring or corned beef), there's nothing uniquely kosher about it. -DJ
PS: how do Ultra-Orthodox Jews avoid thyroid disorders?
Posted by: DingoJack | March 11, 2009 12:45 PM
Guess this means the salt can be either "cut" or "uncut"
So I guess them *&%$ Jews own the banks AND Morton's, too;-)
Posted by: Rev. AJB | March 11, 2009 12:57 PM
So who's going to be the first to market approved Pastafarian spaghetti?
Posted by: Stephen | March 11, 2009 1:05 PM
I think there is a big marketing opportunity here for all the denominations. Lutheran salt, Catholic salt, Baptist salt, Missouri Synod salt, lots of possibilities. I know many of the silly sects would be very glad of the recognition. /snark
Posted by: MikeMa | March 11, 2009 1:09 PM
So we have another fundamentalist Christian with an inferiority complex. No news here, folks. I seriously doubt "Christian salt" is going to take off, anyway.
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | March 11, 2009 1:22 PM
DingoJack,
It's pretty obvious by sight how "Kosher Salt" is different. The most common place you see it is the salt on large, soft pretzels. It's crystalized into larger, visible pieces rather than the fine power of table salt. Sometimes it's called sea salt and I'm sure there are other names to, but, somehow, the name "kosher salt" is fairly common across the country.
As for salting meat, the salt is generally not eaten. It's used to absorb the blood away and mostly thrown out. Of course, some of it remains in such as with brining meat. So, if you ever want a pre-brined bird, buy kosher.
Posted by: bsci | March 11, 2009 1:28 PM
I wonder if he's upset that the negroes still get credit for the pepper that he uses?
Posted by: Michael | March 11, 2009 1:39 PM
Also in regard to Kosher food being "blessed by a Rabbi" not that that's a common misconception; Kashrut is defined in an essentially negative fashion. Certain foods are not kosher, anything else left over is kosher. The point of supervision and such is to make sure that non-kosher ingredients don't contaminate kosher food. (There is one minor exception to this, there is a ritual phrase said when an animal is slaughtered. But proper intent would possibly make the food kosher even if one didn't say the blessing)
Posted by: Joshua Zelinsky | March 11, 2009 1:43 PM
DingoJack:
Kosher salt is simply sea salt that has been mined/produced/procured by a company that is Kosher. A Kosher company would have a certain type of Rabbi who inspects the product, machinery and environment (this Rabbi may be a member of the staff, or may be from an org that specializes in Kosher Certification). The machines are used/cleaned following Jewish dietary laws and the entire kosher food processing area/factory is also subject to those same strict dietary guidelines.
I'm not sure about Thyroid deficiencies among the Orthodox, but I'll see what I can find (I'm assuming they just use the old iodine pills like when I was a kid, but I don't really know).
Posted by: EdgyB | March 11, 2009 1:58 PM
I've always had an idea for a line of Jewish Soul Food products called "Goy That's Delicious®"
My Jewish wife just looks at me funny, but she's not against it.
Posted by: rpsms | March 11, 2009 2:09 PM
To all - Thanks for the info. I wasn't trying to be snarky [well I wasn't trying too hard anyway :)].
As I thought the making of the salt has to be, well, kosher, but basically it's coarse-grained sea-salt (w/o iodides), and that makes it great for drawing blood (and other liquids) out of meats. Is that right? -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | March 11, 2009 2:14 PM
This is utter nonsense. "Kosher salt" is the large crystal variety, as opposed to the small "table salt" crystals. It gets the name because historically it was made for one step in the koshering process, used to absorb blood off freshly slaughtered meat. The small stuff won't do.
I have no idea if anyone is interested in manufacturing "kosher salt" without getting rabbinical supervision, and it is possible that if someone did, they'd give it a different name.
We use ordinary table salt like everybody else most of the time. And we eat huge quantities of processed food like everybody else most of the time also.
Posted by: william e emba | March 11, 2009 2:20 PM
Dingo, correct, it has nothing to do with the kashrut status of the salt. It used to in fact be called "koshering salt" since it was used to draw blood out of meat and meat isn't kosher if it has blood in it.
Also, one other note: a person who supervises kashrut is called a mashgiach. While most mashgiachs are Rabbis it isn't a strictly necessary requirement.
Posted by: Joshua Zelinsky | March 11, 2009 2:23 PM
Don't get him started on fleur de sel. (What's wrong with salt from a good old AMERICAN ocean?)
Posted by: Julie Stahlhut | March 11, 2009 2:26 PM
Christian salt, energy drinks, and bars. Awesome.
These sorts of cons drive home the point that anyone who values tribal loyalty over critical thinking is setting themself up as a ripe target for snake oil salesmen.
Posted by: eric | March 11, 2009 2:30 PM
"Ezekiel 4:9 Bread is actually quite good and is a reasonably priced multigrain bread."
Is it baked with the fuel specified in Ezekiel 4:12, or the substitute allowed by Ezekiel 4:15?
Posted by: anon | March 11, 2009 2:52 PM
Whats funny is that this dude's jesus salt is still most likely kosher by jewish standards.
Posted by: phiend | March 11, 2009 2:54 PM
As I mentioned above, the "Christian salt" is actually certified kosher according to the company's website.
Almost all salt is certified kosher because it would be hard to make salt that couldn't get certified and the certification process for something like salt is very cheap.
Posted by: bsci | March 11, 2009 3:21 PM
Ed, you're a few days late on this, as is Dingo Jack's comment about Lott's wife:
http://www.youaredumb.net/archive/2009/3/3
Posted by: B8ovin | March 11, 2009 4:08 PM
I'm not giving up my science salt, NaCl, on my countertop in a test tube. Nor my satan-sugar for Adam $ Stevia, either.
Posted by: Inoculated Mind | March 11, 2009 4:26 PM
I hear they got an endorsement from Anne Coulter. "Christian salt is kosher salt perfected," said the bafflingly popular moron.
Posted by: Abby Normal | March 11, 2009 5:28 PM
So, if Kosher Salt is for drawing blood from kosher meat before cooking, does that mean that Christian Salt is for drawing...
naw, I cant finish that joke - it's wrong on too many levels.
Posted by: Lee | March 11, 2009 5:29 PM
Let's see.... "Scientific Salt" ??
Maybe it could be sold as "So Diem; Clear Eyed"?
A little each day improves your world view!
Posted by: Marc Buhler | March 11, 2009 5:56 PM
To (((Billy))) The Atheist up above:
Actually, sounds more like Swiss Army Salt.
Posted by: RAM | March 11, 2009 7:15 PM
Having grown up near there, I can attest that there aren't. There's a grand total of one synagogue in the entire county.
Posted by: eric | March 11, 2009 7:54 PM
Wow. Does this moron even realize that Kosher salt is distinguished by the fact that it dissolves more slowly and at higher temperatures than table salt - and not by flavor?
My bet is that this guy would try selling ice to Eskimos.
Posted by: Ryan Egesdahl | March 11, 2009 8:14 PM
eric- "These sorts of cons drive home the point that anyone who values tribal loyalty over critical thinking is setting themself up as a ripe target for snake oil salesmen."
I think exactly the same thought every time I see the "Christian Yellow Pages" or an internet business advertise as "Christian".
Posted by: Rick R | March 11, 2009 9:27 PM
It's just coarse salt without additives like iodine. There's otherwise nothing special about it...
Posted by: Moses | March 11, 2009 9:59 PM
The only advantages to those businesses advertising as Christian is that I can automatically keep looking for someone else to do business with. I've lived in towns where the only people who provided some services advertised that way, and had nothing but bad experiences with them, from some combination of outrageous over-pricing, incompetence, or proselytizing to me in my own damned house. Or, worst of all, all three.
Living in a large city, I can now find plenty of people who don't think a fish drawing is all the skill or qualification needed to do a job.
Posted by: Aquaria | March 11, 2009 10:23 PM
Remembering an old bread commercial: You don't have to be Christian to love Levi's.
Posted by: Bob Carroll | March 11, 2009 10:38 PM
It won't be the first time someone's tacked a "Christian" modifier onto something with no scriptural basis whatsoever.
Posted by: Jon Lester | March 11, 2009 10:42 PM
"What's wrong with the disciples? Are they too jewish? I made Judas the most Jewish."
- Michelangelo, as interpreted by Monty Python
Posted by: Paul Murray | March 12, 2009 12:09 AM
I grew up about 5 miles from where this guy lives. Unfortunately, he is all too typical of the kind of narrow-minded ignorance that seems to run rampant there.
I love how he tries to deflect any charge of anti-semitism by claiming that he loves jesus, and since jesus was a Jew, he can't possibly be anti-semitic. What an ass.
Posted by: Eric13 | March 12, 2009 12:39 AM
Bob Carroll:
Remembering an old bread commercial: You don't have to be Christian to love Levi's.
That's Levy's, as in the rye bread. Though of course anyone can wear Levi's.
Posted by: wheatdogg | March 12, 2009 1:37 AM
On the sephardim thing;
Are you telling us Hey Seuss wasn't spanish?
His pa Hose Ay will be mad.
Posted by: eddie | March 12, 2009 1:47 AM
Posted by: william e emba | March 12, 2009 10:00 AM
Yes, kosher salt refers to the size of the granules. All slat with no other ingredients would be acceptable for a kosher diet.
I read about this on Feministe originally, and tried to explain it to an apologist like this:
It would be like someone watching a cooking show with a recipe that called for "confectioner's sugar" (which is a special powdered sugar with a different consistency than table sugar). This person freaks out and says "I am not a confectioner! I am a baker!! This is discriminatory!" and proceeds to market table sugar specifically for bakers called "bakers sugar", which still cannot be used as a replacement for confectioner's sugar.
But, of course, the original story also has a bizarre, religious, anti-Semitic, reactionary twist.
This person also did not understand or bother to look up what kosher salt really is. Somerecipes definitely are better with the larger granules.
By the way, does this jerk know that Christians actually share the Old Testament with the Jews? That kosher law is emphasized as much as the verses against homosexuality?
Posted by: MomTFH | March 12, 2009 10:02 AM
MomTFH - Nice try.
In fact 'Kosher salt' is nothing of the sort. It's just ordinary sea salt people!
The size of the crystal is irrealvant, it's physical & chemical properties are identical to ordinary table salt. It's still a mix of sodium, potassium and other chlorides. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Many cultures used salt to draw liquids (including blood) out of meat. Are these cultures suddenly 'Semitic'?
The idea of "kosher salt' is, in my opinion humble as it is, ridiculous, equally this can be said for 'Jesus salt' - What nonsense - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | March 12, 2009 12:21 PM
So who's going to be the first to market approved Pastafarian spaghetti?
The first cook who can make spaghetti fly on its own?
Posted by: Raging bee | March 12, 2009 12:28 PM
It doesn't what you "think". The product exists and it has the name "kosher salt". Ranting won't change reality.
Posted by: william e emba | March 12, 2009 12:40 PM
william e emba - Sorry to intrude on your 'reality', but NaCl, well, is NaCl, no matter what you market it as, sorry. - :( DJ
Posted by: Dingojack | March 12, 2009 12:54 PM
I don't think the definition of "kosher salt" has been made quite clear. Essentially, kosher salt is a replacement for sun-dried sea salt, which was the traditional salt used for koshering meats; it's purified rock salt with no additives, dried in such a way to crystallize as open-structured flakes instead of dense cubes (I think it's a form of hopper crystal, similar to purified bismuth).
Kosher salt's popularity among goyish cooks like me has very little to do with its religious applications and a lot more to do with its structure -- the flaky crystals stick better to meats and are easier to a) measure out by eye (because it's less dense, so small amounts are easier to work with) and b) to pick up and toss around so you don't have to deal with unreliable and occasionally gummed-up salt shakers. It's probably the best thing going for stovetop use, although bakers will get mixed results with it in dry doughs, since it's rather coarse and won't dissolve as quick as a finer salt.
As for the "Christian" salt, if you ask me it borders on affinity fraud with a touch of anti-semitism and a lot of sheer ignorance and typical fundy paranoia.
Posted by: Brian X | March 12, 2009 1:11 PM
WILLIAM E EMBA: Sorry. Talking out of my a--, thought I was smarter than I am. My bad. Sorry to anyone else who read my crap. Won't happen again.
Posted by: EdgyB | March 12, 2009 3:22 PM
Am I the only one who reads the title to this post and mentally insertes a comma after "Christian"? I keep getting images of recipies for Christian stew. (Accept no subsitutes! Use only True Christians(tm).)
Posted by: Abby Normal | March 12, 2009 4:58 PM
Damn, looks like I broke my spellchecker. Sorry.
Posted by: Abby Normal | March 12, 2009 5:00 PM
Abby - "Manduca, iam coctum est.” - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | March 12, 2009 8:41 PM
So what? What you said was rank gibberish, and I pointed this out. That "table salt" and "kosher salt" are NaCl is true, known to all discussants here anyway, and completely irrelevant to what was being discussed.
You as might as well rant against somebody telling you "ice" is for sale because it's chemically the same H2O as "water".
Posted by: william e emba | March 13, 2009 9:52 AM
"Manduca, iam coctum est.” I detect a possible LOL, but my Latin is rusty. coctum looks like a 4th principle part, but I cannot place it. help?
Posted by: complex field | March 13, 2009 10:24 AM