Sea salt

From Wikinfo

Sea salt, obtained by evaporation of sea water, is a salt used as an ingredient in cooking and in products such as cosmetics. Its mineral content gives it a different taste from table salt, which is mostly sodium chloride that is either purified from sea salt or made from rock salt (halite), a mineral that is dug from mines. Table salt also sometimes contains additives, such as iodides (as a dietary supplement) and various anticaking agents. Sea salt is thought by some to be a healthier alternative to table salt. Various areas of the world produce specialized sea salt, including France, Ireland, and Cape Cod. Sea salt produced in Hawaii may have a distictive red-brown color (see red dirt) derived from iron-rich volcanic soil present as an impurity. One common use of sea salt is in premium potato chips. Sea salt is generally more expensive than table salt.

References

• Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Sea salt" http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_salt August 13, 2003