SEA SALT

Salty questions and answers

Surprise, surprise: Like every other table salt, sea salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine - i.e., sodium chloride. Sea salt can be coarse or fine. Chemically, it is no different from other table salts – which is unsurprising as the salt deposits from which rock salt or common salt is produced today were formed around 250 million years ago when the primeval oceans evaporated. But let’s be honest: Doesn’t sea salt always bring a pinch of that vacation feeling to your table?

Sea salt comes from the garden. It’s true! AQUASALE’s sea salt comes from the coastal regions of Europe. This is where so-called salterns are made, which are shallow basins into which seawater is channeled. The sun’s rays evaporate the sea water naturally – leaving behind salt crystals that are harvested, washed, dried, and classified according to grain size before ending up on your plate.

You’ve just read about how sea salt is extracted. That said: All good salty things come in threes. In addition to sea salt, table salt, table salt includes rock salt and common salt. The difference is the method of salt extraction. Evaporated salt is usually extracted from brine. This involves drilling holes in a salt dome, filling them with fresh water, flushing out the salt and then evaporating the water. Rock salt, as the name suggests, is extracted by mining. Large machines are used to extract it from the depths of the mine.

Simply put: it can be used for everything! Do you love the fermentation food trend? Then go for it! Our sea salt would love to help here. Or would you prefer to do some preserving? Why not? Of course, it also goes well sprinkled over fresh tomatoes or into your pasta water. Coarse sea salt is particularly well suited for dishes that are prepared in a salt coating. How about a Salt-Crusted Dorade? Or why not unleash your inner daredevil and make Saffron Popcorn for your next film night?

You may have already guessed the answer: As all table salts consist of sodium and chlorine, they are comparable. Otherwise: Salt is a vital mineral nutrient, but it should be consumed in moderation. The German Nutrition Society (German: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e. V.) recommends approx. 6 grams per day. This is the equivalent of a teaspoon of salt. But you shouldn’t underestimate this: We get around three-quarters of our salt from foods that already contain salt – such as sausages, bread, and cheese.

What do you reckon? It’s less than you might think. Approximately 35 grams per liter, which is the equivalent of roughly three tablespoons of salt. Or to put it more scientifically: The average salt content of the sea is 3.5 % – the only place where it is higher is the Dead Sea where it’s approx. 33 %!

Our Earth’s rock is packed full of mineral salts. Rainwater contains carbon dioxide, which, among other things, dissolves the salt from the rock. Rivers then transport the salt into the sea. Does that mean that our oceans are getting saltier and saltier? Surprisingly, no. The salt content actually remains relatively constant as it collects in what are known as salt sinks. Tiny organisms like algae or mussels also make use of the calcium ions when forming their shells, and this also helps to remove salt from the sea.