All Salt is From the Sea

My sister and I love to cook and, as a result, have a plethora of spices, including different kinds of salts. Our know-it-all, er, well-rounded and educated, brother likes to remind us that all salt comes from the sea. And it does – sort of.

As far as science is concerned, it is likely that all salt on earth today was brought to its harvest location by ancient sea waters.

Salt labeled and purchased as “sea salt” tends to be preferred by many culinary enthusiasts and health-conscious consumers. However, for salt to be considered food grade according to regulation, there is no requirement that it must come from seawater. Salt can be sourced from the sea, an underground mine, or another form of salty brine. The only regulation is that it must be 97% sodium chloride with a small percentage of other natural elements such as magnesium, calcium and potassium with limited amounts of anti-caking agents like iodine (non-Kosher only).

Salt labeled “sea salt” is attained by gathering the remnants of evaporated sea water. It is likely to be less processed and more nutrient rich than standard table salt. Sea salt is often used to finish culinary dishes due to its richer flavor. Now that I think about it, I would much rather have a gourmet chocolate chip cookie dusted with sea salt rather than table salt.

Table salt is also derived from evaporating water or brine, but it is also purified to remove any impurities that are not sodium chloride (like the aforementioned magnesium, calcium and potassium).

Sea salt is typically a different consistency – more flakey and course as opposed to the small granules of table salt.

So just in case you wondered, yes, all salt is sort of from the sea.

To my brother Glen: If you’re reading this, no need to be salty about it. You gave me something to research.

NOTE: Information in this article was gleaned from an online article published by Slofood Group Team, August 5, 2020