Although most people won’t admit it, we have all gotten salt and pepper shakers confused. It’s one of those things everyone wants to know about pepper and salt, but is too embarrassed to ask. Fortunately, it is possible to tell shakers apart just by looking.
In the United States, salt shakers typically have less holes than pepper shakers. This is due to the cultural association of salt with bad health, which is technically a myth about salt. In other countries, especially European countries, salt shakers will actually have more holes than pepper shakes.
While there isn’t a universal appearance that differentiates salt and pepper shakers, it can at least be narrowed down based on location. However, this information mostly applies to using salt and pepper shakers in public locations like restaurants. At home, there aren’t necessarily hard and fast rules for what type of shaker to use.
Check the holes
If you’re desperate for some salt or pepper at a restaurant but don’t want to accidentally use the wrong shaker, your best bet is to check the number of holes on the shakers. In the United States, it’s common for salt shakers to have fewer holes, perhaps only two or even one in some places. Meanwhile, pepper shakers will have two or three holes to match proportionally.
However, the method is totally switched in other countries. This is mostly due to cultural differences; places where pepper isn’t as highly used or as readily available will put pepper in shakers with fewer holes. Generally speaking, it’s best to count the holes and go based on the culture of the place you’re dining in.
It is important to note that the size and amount of holes could also vary based on the size of salt or pepper granules, which can potentially throw people off. It doesn’t help that some restaurants will also store cracker pepper or coarse salt in shakers with holes that are too small, which defeats the purpose. As such, some people opt to use different storage methods, like freshly ground pepper stored in a mill, as it looks quite distinct and is better for functionality overall.
