wakame and nori, the seaweed used for making sushi. While
remaining mindful of our overall sodium intake, we can take
wide-ranging pleasure in experimenting with many varieties of
natural salt.
Salt Varieties
Following are seven favorites that turn up time and again.
n Black salt or kala namak is a pearly, pink-grey mineral
salt from India, characterized by a strong, sulfurous taste.
n Celtic sea salt, harvested from the salt flats of Northern
France, is marked by a mellow flavor with a hint of
sweetness; its crystals may be white, pink or grey.
n Fleur de sel, the “flower of salt,” is considered the premier
quality grey sea salt, with fine crystals, a crisp texture and
a delicate flavor and aroma.
n Grey salt, or sel gris, comes from evaporated sea water
off the coast of Brittany, France; its unrefined crystals are
purple-grey in color and have a fresh, light flavor.
n Hawaiian black lava salt comprises a blend of sea salt
and volcanic charcoal, prized for its dramatic color and
smoky flavor.
n Hawaiian red sea salt contains alaea, a volcanic clay that
enriches the salt with iron oxide and gives it a distinctive
pink color and mellow flavor.
n Himalayan salt, a full-flavored salt, has traces of iron that
give its crystals a soft pink glow. Once a year, Nepali
workers harvest this salt from an ancient fossilized seabed.
While savoring salt in sensible quantities, remember that,
“We eat with our eyes, too,” says Joachim. “We can appreci-
ate the beautiful crystal structures of the different kinds of salts.
They’re astonishingly varied
—large flakes and tiny
grains; pyramids and
delicate, flat chips.
Like snowflakes,
there’s an endless
variety.”
Rallie McAllister
is a medical doc-
tor with master’s
degrees in public
health and envi-
ronmental health.
She publishes as
an author, syndi-
cated columnist and
co-founder of Mom-
myMDGuides.com, a
free website providing
tips from integrative
physicians who are also
mothers.
natural awakenings March 2010

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