Box Reads: “Salt has historical importance, more than many people realize. What you keep as a staple in your cupboard was once coveted by royalty and used as currency. It was in the development of civilization, which has now turned into a common part of our daily diets. Remarkably, salt comes from the earth and sea, and is essential to humans, animals, and plant life.”
1. BLACK LAVA SALT
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BASICS
About: Who doesn’t want volcanic particles sprinkled on their dinner? It has a brittle, crunchy texture with a striking deep black color that comes from charcoal. It’s rich in minerals, and often used for dramatic presentation.
Origin: Hawaii
Harvest: From pools that form naturally after lava flows.
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SHOP
Online: Amazon • Beyond the Shaker • Mountain Rose Herbs
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EAT
Suggested Uses: Rim around cocktails • Season pizza crust or dinner rolls • Garnish chocolate desserts • Mashed potatoes • Sliced tomatoes • Roasted Brussels • Sunny-side up eggs • Edamame • Make a bar of soap
2. DESERT SALT
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BASICS
About: Also called “The White Gold,” this sustainable salt comes from the dry, pristine, and untouched Kalahari Desert. Gently dried under the desert sun is a super duper pure, mineral-rich salt even by geological standards.
Origin: South Africa
Harvest: From an ancient lake.
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SHOP
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EAT
Suggested Uses: classic home cooking and seasoning
3. OAK SMOKED SALT
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BASICS
About: Get ready to open up your flavor wallet, because this salt is one of the easiest, most mouthwatering ways to season your meals. The crystals are smoked over oak wood for several days, producing a light tan color and smokey aroma.
Plant Origin: oak wood
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SHOP
Online: Amazon • Salt Traders
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EAT
Suggested Uses: Chicken • Shrimp, Scallops, or Salmon • Mix into rice • Top a baked potato • Add to cooked beans or lentil • Add to soups or stews • Sprinkle on ice cream • Drop a grain or two into a glass of white wine • Make your own
4. HIMALAYAN PINK SALT
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BASICS
About: This almighty rock salt has been on trend since Alexander the Great. He discovered it when his troops noticed their horses licking the rock. Essential for both humans and animals, this health bomb has a whopping 84 trace minerals responsible for it’s color and health functions.
Origin: Asia
Harvest: 500 million years ago an evaporated sea left behind salt accumulations. When the Earth’s crust shifted and moved (think Pangea), the salt was buried. As the continents continued to shift, the rock surrounding the salt was forced upward, eventually forming the mountain ranges where the mines are currently located.
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SHOP
Store: near other spices & seasonings
Online: Amazon
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EAT
Suggested Uses: classic home cooking and seasoning
5. RED SALT
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BASICS
About: This salts bewitching color and mild flavor is used in most Hawaiian cuisine and ceremonies. The deep red color comes from extremely high amounts of iron in the volcanic clay that’s mixed in with it.
Origin: Hawaii
Harvest: From pools that form naturally after lava flows.
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SHOP
Online: Amazon
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EAT
Suggested Uses: Poké • Spice rubs • Grilled seafood • Grilled vegetables • Top chocolate desserts or ice cream
6. SUN SALT
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BASICS
About: Here’s a salt with resilient crunch and fascinating history. Up in the highlands of the Peruvian Andes, this salt is still produced using the same methods as the Incans! The saltwater lakes flood into pools where it’s then be dried naturally by the sun. These pool are over 3000 metres high, which means less industrial pollution and more pure salt.
Origin: South America
Harvested: From saltwater lakes flooded into pools then dried by the sun.
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SHOP
Online: Amazon
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EAT
Suggested Uses: Classic home cooking • Salads • Pan-fried seafood
7. BLUE SALT
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BASICS
About: I saved the most mesmerizing salt for last. It’s fascinating blue color comes from the same fossilization process as Himalayan Pink Salt. It requires very specific climatic and atmospheric conditions. Its flavor has an initial bold taste, then subsides.
Origin: Iran
Harvest: an ancient salt lake
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SHOP
Online: Amazon
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EAT
Suggested uses: Classic home cooking
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