List of edible salts explained

Edible salts, also known as table salts, are salts generally derived from mining (rock salt) or evaporation (including sea salt). Edible salts may be identified by such characteristics as their geographic origin, method of preparation, natural impurities, additives, flavourings, or intended purpose (such as pickling or curing).

NameImageTypeNotes
Alaea saltSeasonedA Hawaiian-style sea salt mixed with a red volcanic clay.
Alpenbergkern salt RockSalt from the Salzkammergut area in the Alps. This salt contains 84 minerals. Its high iron content gives it a unique tan color.
Anatolian (Çankırı) saltRockFrom underground salt deposits in Çankırı, Central Anatolia, Turkey. Rocks have a white translucent appearance. There are many caves in the province that are used for salt mining since the Hittites.
Anglesey sea saltSeaAlso known as "Halen Môn." A Welsh sea salt extracted from salt flakes harvested from the Menai Strait in Anglesey (PDO).[1]
Asín tibuokSeaLiterally "whole salt" or "unbroken salt". A rare Filipino traditional artisanal sea salt made from continually soaking coconut husks in seawater for six months then burning it into ashes. Seawater is then poured through the ashes and the resulting brine boiled in clay pots in a furnace. The result is an egg-shaped lump of salt. It is characteristically sold with the upside down broken clay pot, earning it the nickname of "dinosaur egg salt" due to its appearance. Used as seasoning by scraping over food. It originates from Bohol island, Philippines.[2] [3]
Bahamas sea saltSeaSea salt has been produced on Great Inagua Island since the 1930s. The Morton Salt Company bought the facility in 1954. This site, comprising 300,000 acres on Great Inagua Island, produces about a million pounds of salt per year‚ the second largest saline operation in North America. Bahamas sea salt can be found in grocery stores and supermarkets in the United States.[4]
Balinese sea saltSeaThis seawater is poured over a flat area of raked black sand and left to evaporate for several days. The dry salty sand is gathered and transferred into a series of coconut trunk vats. More sea water is then poured over the salty sand—this filtering process can be repeated several times, until the briny liquid reaches its briniest. The brine is poured into long hollow tree trunks and left to evaporate completely for a final time. Amed,[5] Kusamba,[6] and Tejakula[7] are regions that produce Balinese sea salt.
Black lava saltSeasonedA salt colored with activated charcoal. Hawaiian manufacture among others.
BrineA saltwater used in the preservation of food.
Butter saltSeasonedSalt with butter flavouring.
Celery saltSeasonedSalt seasoned with celery seeds.
Cooking saltA coarse salt that is used in cooking but not at the table.
Croatian sea saltSeaEvaporated from Adriatic sea water collected in salt pans at the town of Nin, Croatia.
Curing saltA salt containing sodium nitrite, used in the preservation of meats.[8]
Cyclic saltCyclicAny salt deposited by the wind.
Cyprian pyramid saltSeaFlakes shapes resembling pyramids evaporated from salt pans around the island of Cyprus.
Çamaltı (Billur) saltSeaFine grain iodized sea salt produced from Aegean Sea in Çamaltı Saltworks located at İzmir, Turkey.
Dairy saltSalt used in the preparation of dairy products, such as butter and cheese, either to add flavour or as a preservative.
Dead Sea saltSeaSalt extracted or taken from the Dead Sea.
Egyptian frost saltRockCrystalline salt that takes its name from its texture similar to frost.
Einville saltSeaBrine is pumped to the surface of a well from 200 meters below ground and evaporated to produce the salt. Production is by Salines d'Einville, located in Einville-au-Jard, in Lorraine, France. Pétales de sel resemble fleurs de sel. Activity began in 1871, renewed in 1988.[9] Similar to salt produced by the J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works in the Kanawha Valley in West Virginia and Maras salt from Peru.
Flake saltA type of salt with flake-shaped crystals
Fleur de selSeaA hand-harvested sea salt, typically from France.
Garam Bledug Kuwu MudA salt from mud volcano in Grobogan Regency.[10]
Garam nipahPalmA salt from Nypa fruticans in Jambi and Papua.[11] [12]
Garlic saltSeasonedSalt mixed with garlic powder.
Guerrero negroSea One of the largest producers of salt in the world, producing evaporated sea salt from the Guerrero Negro, Mexico Salt pans.
HaliteRockThe mineral term for rock salt.
Himalayan saltRockA rock salt with a pink color, mined in Pakistan.
Ilocano AsinSeaEvaporated in salt ponds and hand harvested at Pangasinan province in the Philippines. Ilocano Asin is coarse, moist, and white.
JukyeomSeasonedA Korean salt roasted in bamboo. Also known as "bamboo salt."
Kalahari Salt SeaFrom the Kalahari Desert salt pans.
Kala NamakRockKalo Nun or Kala namak is a kiln-fired rock salt used in South Asia with a sulphurous, pungent-smell. It is also known as "Himalayan black salt."
Kampot sea saltSeaSea salt from coastal salt pans in the Kampot and Kep provinces of Cambodia.
Kanawha Valley saltSeaProduced by the J. Q. Dickenson Salt Works in Malden, West Virginia.[13] Brine is pumped to the surface from 300 feet below ground and evaporated to produce the salt. Similar to Einville salt and salt from Maras in Peru.
Khoisan salt pearlsCyclicSouth African salt formed by wind action across a salt pan.
Kitchen saltA coarse salt that is used in cooking but not at the table.
Korean saltHas a larger grain-size compared to common kitchen salt. Also known as "Korean brining salt."
Kosher saltA large-grained, non-iodised salt.
Lake Grassmere saltSea Seawater, from the Pacific Ocean, is pumped into Lake Grassmere, New Zealand and evaporated.
Maldon Sea SaltSeaSea salt flakes harvested in the River Blackwater, Essex, UK.[14]
Maras saltSeaSalt ponds are more commonly found on coastal plains, filled with seawater from the incoming tide. The ones in Peru are at an altitude of 3,000 metres. It’s a long way to the ocean, but it wasn’t always so; this impressive mountain range was once part the sea floor.The movement of tectonic plates pushed the seabed up to form the Andes. The sea salt was locked into the rocks and filters out through the Qoripujio spring, which is then routed to roughly 5,000 evap ponds staggered down the valley in terraces.
Mongolian lake saltSeaEvaporated from saline lakes in inner Mongolia.
Moshio saltSeasonedDried seaweed that is boiled in sea water to form a brine which is then crystalized.
Murray River salt flakesSeaSalt from the Australian Murray River basin. Peach-coloured flake salt. The salt contains calcium and magnesium and has a relatively mild taste.
Namibian salt pearls CyclicFormed naturally by the Berg wind as they tumble on the water's edge.
Netarts Bay, Oregon saltSeaPure flake sea salt is harvested from Netarts Bay on the Oregon Coast by Jacobsen Salt Company, founded in 2011.[15]
Onion saltSeasonedSalt mixed with onion powder.
Persian blue saltRockExtracted from a salt mine in the northern province of Semnan in Iran. The intriguing blue colour occurs during the forming of the salt’s crystalline structure, as intense pressure is exerted on the salt deposits. The individual crystals fracture the light in an unusual way and the resulting blue (which is caused by an optical illusion), becomes visible.
Pickling saltA fine-grained, non-iodised salt used for pickling.
River reed saltA salt produced by burning river reeds from along the Nzoia River in Kenya.
Sal de TaviraSeaA Portuguese sea salt extracted from salt pans on the Atlantic coast (PDO).[16]
Sale Marino di TrapaniSeaAn Italian sea salt extracted from the salt pans of Trapani, Paceco and Marsala (PGI).[17]
Sea saltSeaGeneric term for salt derived from evaporation or reduction of salt water, typically sea water. Mineral content varies with locale and drying process.
Seasoned saltSeasonedAny salt which has been flavoured.
Sel grisSeaA French-style sea salt. It tends to be grey in color and somewhat moist.
Sel de GuérandeSeaA French sea salt from the salt marshes of the Guérande Peninsula (PGI).[18]
Smoked saltSeasonedFlavor altered by type of wood used or length of smoke process
Sugpo AsinSeaA Filipino traditional artisanal salt. Sugpo Asin are hollow crystals that are ever-so-slightly-pink due to the shrimp that live in the salt beds from which this particular salt is harvested. It originates from Pangasinan, Philippines.
TultulAlso known as "dukdok." A Filipino traditional artisanal sea salt made by burning waterlogged driftwood and plant matter. Seawater is then filtered through the ashes and the resulting brine is added to coconut milk and boiled until the water evaporates. It is sold in brick-like lumps. Used as seasoning by scraping over food. It originates from Guimaras island and Capiz, Philippines.
Truffle saltSeasonedAny salt which has been flavoured with truffles.
Utah saltRockFrom an underground salt deposit in Central Utah. The deposit was left there by an ancient sea that covered much of North America millions of years ago.
Yellowstone saltRockFrom a subterranean deposit brought to the surface by spring water and evaporated.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Anglesey Sea Salt'/'Halen Môn'. OJEU. 2014-03-22.
  2. Web site: Asin Tibuok Unbroken Salt . Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity . 18 December 2018.
  3. News: 'Asin tibuok' at Kitchen Elf . 18 December 2018 . The Philippine Star . 14 December 2017.
  4. Web site: Morton Salt Factory - Explore the Bahamas - the Official Website of the Bahamas.
  5. Web site: Aisyah . Yuharrani . Tiofani . Krisda . Mengulik Garam Amed Asli Karangasem Bali, Jadi Warisan Budaya Takbenda Indonesia . kompas.com . 22 August 2024 . indonesian.
  6. Web site: Kerajinan Garam Tradisional/Uyah Kusamba . baliprov.go.id . 22 August 2024 . Indonesian.
  7. Web site: Wiratmini . Ni Putu Eka . Garam Tejakula Lebih Mudah Tembus Ekspor Ketimbang Pasar Lokal . bisnis.com . 22 August 2024 . Indonesian.
  8. Book: Bitterman, M. . 187 . Salt Reference Guide . https://books.google.com/books?id=8IAvgHk5SV4C&pg=PA187 . Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes . Random House . 2010 . 978-1-58008-262-4 . 2013-08-16 .
  9. Web site: Saline d'Einville . 2022-09-25 . www.saline-einville.com.
  10. Web site: Nuswantoro . Nuswantoro . Kisah Lasiyem, Petani Garam Terakhir Bledug Kuwu . mongabay.co.id . 22 August 2024 . Indonesian.
  11. Web site: Plasmanto . Gresi . Cara Unik Warga Jambi Ciptakan Garam Sendiri . liputan6.com . 22 August 2024 . Indonesian.
  12. Web site: Pesona Garam Hitam Alami Mirip Arang yang Kaya Manfaat, Tertarik Coba? . daaitv.co.id . 22 August 2024 . Indonesian.
  13. Web site: MESH . J. Q. Dickinson Salt-Works . 2022-09-25 . J. Q. Dickinson Salt-Works.
  14. Web site: The History of Maldon Salt, the Stuff You Already Put on Everything. 31 March 2017 .
  15. Web site: Pure Sea Salt.
  16. Web site: 'Sal de Tavira'/'Flor de Sal de Tavira'. OJEU. 2014-03-22.
  17. Web site: 'Sale Marino di Trapani'. OJEU. 2014-03-22.
  18. Web site: 'Sel de Guérande/Fleur de sel de Guérande'. OJEU. 2014-03-22.