Large, thick slabs of Himalayan salt are truly unique kitchen assets that can aid in cooking, curing, or serving foods. Serving a meal on a salt slab instead of a plate is especially striking, but there’s one useful tip that you should know about to make sure your food actually tastes good instead of just looking pretty.

"Wet" foods such as thinly sliced meats and fish are more susceptible to salt absorption when served on a slab of salt, and can even start to cure if left to sit for a long enough period of time. "Dry" foods, on the other hand, still need to be seasoned with salt before serving, since they'll absorb much less salt from the slab itself.

The degree of seasoning and the amount of time that food should sit on a salt block will vary depending on the meal or ingredients. Regardless of what you serve, chill your salt block in the freezer for several hours, then let it rest out of the freezer for about a half an hour before plating your food to make the slab more sturdy.