Salt Wood's chef, Ben Hillan, has prepared a line of seasoned salts for home use.

You would think that the taste of salt would need no explanation. Yet there are nuances that set sel gris harvested in Brittany apart from Peru’s mountain salt pans, England’s Maldon or the red-tinged crystals from Hawaiian waters.

Let Ben Hillan and his team have a go, and the clean brine of sea salt is transformed into canvas. The Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette chef offers a line called Taste of Salt, available at the restaurant for use at home. Each has been developed to complement fish and certain meats.

For example, the aromatic Seaweed & Ginger makes a nice finishing salt for many seafood dishes. As the earthy bite from the root softens on the palate, a grassy salinity emerges, leaving a unique tang.

The Espelette & Smoked Paprika version is intended for beef. The ruddy bite and pronounced woodfire sensation of the spices provide a rustic warmth that settles notions of flame and cast iron into the meat. Hints of sun-dried tomato and baled hay to the homespun effect.

Hillan intends the salts to be used just before serving. The paired seasonings lose interest when applied just before cooking—going their separate ways or fading altogether. But as a final toss, the salts prime the palate.

With many chicken presentations, Rosemary & Lemon makes white meat pop. It is aromatic, with the appeal of herbs and cured zest. While the nose suggests a potent force, dominated by the earthy, minty strut of rosemary, citrus brightens on the palate for a light and refreshing edge.

These are not unusual combinations. The chef has put together a line of salts that can be used on typical dishes without much experimentation—subtle expressions.

Of course, there is nothing against a simple dusting of fleur de sel. But for Hillan, it’s also a blank slate.

Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette is at 3295 Dunes Drive, Marina. (831) 883-5535 saltwoodkitchenandoysterette.com.