Everyone has different habits when stir-frying, and the timing for adding salt during cooking varies. Some people are accustomed to adding salt before stir-frying, some add it along with the ingredients, and others prefer to add it just before the dish is served. So, which method is more scientific and healthy?
1. Adding salt before stir-frying
If you are stir-frying with lard, chicken fat, or peanut oil that has not been fully refined, it is advisable to add a small amount of salt before cooking. For peanut oil that has not undergone complete refining, the iodide in the salt can remove trace amounts of aflatoxin present in the oil. For animal fats, adding a small amount of salt first helps to eliminate residual organochlorine pesticides.
2. Adding salt while stir-frying
If you are adding salt at the same time as the ingredients, this is generally for animal proteins such as fish, meat, and shrimp. When cooking animal meats, salt can react with amino acid components to form sodium amino acid salts, which can make the meat more delicious. In this case, the salt acts as a flavor enhancer. However, the amount of salt used for this purpose must be small; too much salt will反而 make the meat quality worse.
3. Adding salt before serving the dish
If we use vegetable oil for stir-frying, which does not contain aflatoxin, it is best to add salt just before the dish is served. This can reduce the loss of vitamins and other nutrients in the vegetables during cooking.