How Much Is a Pinch of Salt

Asked by sugarcookie82. Answered on 17th September 2014

Full question

Hello, I'm planning to bake Nigella's Everyday Brownies and the recipe calls for a "pinch of salt". How much exactly is a "pinch"? Is it literally the tiny amount I pick up with my thumb and forefinger? And does this small amount of salt make a difference to the final product, or can I not use it at all? Thanks!

Our answer

Nigella's Everyday Brownies recipe (from Kitchen) does include a pinch of salt as salt tends to be a good seasoning for both savoury and sweet dishes. Many people find that a pinch of salt in a chocolate dish tends to emphasise the flavour and richness of the chocolate (or cocoa). Nigella generally doesn't give salt quantities or instructions to add salt in her recipes unless she feels that it is really necessary for the dish. She prefers people to use their own preferences and taste as a guide. So for the brownies the salt is preferable, but you can certainly omit it if you like.

There are a variety of opinions as to the specific quantity for a pinch of salt and either 1/16 or 1/8 teaspoon (0.3 or 0.6 ml) seem to be the most commonly quoted. However as most people do not have spoons this small the amount of salt that you can pick up between your forefinger and thumb would be fine as a measuremant of a pinch of salt.