Table salt has a finer texture than sea salt.
Salts actually vary in mineral composition, texture, taste and color. Sea salt differs from table salt, kosher salt and other salts. Sea salt is typically mined differently from other salts, coming from water and not rock flats, which changes the nutrition just slightly. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Harvesting and Nutrition
Sea salt and other salts -- table salt and rock salt, for instance -- have basically the same nutritional content. Sodium and chloride make up the majority of composition. Because sea salt is obtained through evaporation, however, trace minerals and nutrients are left behind that don't appear in other salts. Iodine in particular is removed from regular salts during mining and processing, so it's put back in along with anti-clumping additives. Sea salt is typically less refined than other salts and seen by proponents as a more naturally healthy way to get trace nutrients from salt.
The Closet Alternative: Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is the closest substitute for sea salt. While sea salt is made from evaporating sea water, kosher salt goes through a refining process like table salt. Evaporated salt crystals are put into a brine. Kosher salt is raked throughout this process for a light, flaky texture. Table salt doesn't get raked, and sea salt doesn't get refined at all. Sea salt sometimes has additives like magnesium and calcium, which kosher salt doesn't have. Sea salt crystals also take a pyramid shape, where kosher salt crystals are flat and flaky, like coconut flakes. Because kosher salt absorbs more water than sea salt, it's often used to cure meats.
Differences Between Sea Salt Varieties
Sea salt varies in texture, taste and mineral composition, depending on where it's mined. For instance, black salt, found in India, has a strong sulfur odor, while France's fleur de sel de Guerande's mineral composition gives it a gray color. Sel gris is the organic version of this salt, remaining moist and light purple because of the clay in its salt flats. Hawaiian sea salt has a red clay called Alaea in it that's rich in iron oxide. The mineral's not a natural occurrence, however. Producers add it, giving the salt a pink hue.
Tasting the Difference
Sea salt's mineral composition affects its taste, and where it's mined and produced affects it further. In general, it tastes less bitter than table salt, but typically saltier than kosher salt. Whether the slight difference in taste justifies spending more on sea salt is a matter of preference. A fine sea salt may be appreciated in a delicate dish eaten by a discerning foodie but may go unnoticed by the person next to her.
Tags: mineral composition, table salt, kosher salt, other salts, salt crystals