# Why Sea Salt?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 6, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489 "2010-03-06T01:49:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/1 "2010-03-06T01:49:31Z")
What’s up woth sea salt? How can it be any healthier? Isn’t NaCl = NaCl???
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### Author:  [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/2 "2010-03-06T01:51:36Z")
Yes, but sea salt isn’t all NaCl: it’s got [all this stuff](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_salt#Composition) in it too.
The type of sea salt known as _fleur de sel_ is yumyumyumyumyum, IMO.
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### Author:  [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/3 "2010-03-06T01:56:12Z")
Sea salt’s main benefit, from a gastronomical standpoint, is its texture rather than its flavor. I think Alton Brown did a Good Eats episode on that one.
I’ve seen some packaged goods, like nuts and soups, that advertise that sea salt is healthier or whatnot. Ounce for ounce, it’s technically true for the reason **Kimstu** mentioned, but they could achieve an identical effect by using a smaller amount of mined salt rather than just replacing mined salt with sea salt in their recipes. Sea salt makes for better ad copy, though.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/4 "2010-03-06T02:04:54Z")
Actually, it’s kosher salt which has the different texture.
Sea salt is just salt.
Now, Grey Salt, aka _Fleur de sel_ does look and taste different, as Kimstu sez. But not just “sea salt”, it has to be Grey Salt, aka _Fleur de sel_ or a couple other rare variations to be really different.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/5 "2010-03-06T02:19:09Z")
Mined salt _is_ sea salt (originally).
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### Author:  [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/6 "2010-03-06T02:31:41Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> Mined salt _is_ sea salt (originally).
It’s also refined, though. Even sea salt is refined and sold the same as table salt, or least it used to be; it may be that selling the unrefined stuff is more lucrative now.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/7 "2010-03-06T03:01:17Z")
The down side of sea salt can be the lack of iodine (lack of iodine in the diet can lead to [goiters](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitre)), although if you eat a lot of prepared foods, you’re likely getting plenty of iodized salt in your diet. Same with kosher salt, although I think you can by iodized kosher salt. I usually mix kosher salt half and half with iodized salt substitute.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/8 "2010-03-06T03:53:38Z")
You may be wondering because of Campbell’s ads for their low-sodium sea salt soups. Those are, in fact, significantly lower in sodium than their regular soups… Because they use less salt total. That’s the entire secret of why they’re lower-sodium. The use of sea salt is just a lampshade for marketing purposes.
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### Author:  [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/9 "2010-03-06T05:56:39Z")
Fleur de sel is not gray salt, but the fancy crystals that form on the top of sea salt. It has an even nicer texture than kosher salt.
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### Author:  [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/10 "2010-03-06T06:08:52Z")
I’m with **Reality Chuck**. It’s all sea salt. It’s just a question of how old the sea.
As for the flavor of less-refined salt, I guess taste is in the perception of the beholder. But, IMHO, it takes a pretty mildly-seasoned dish to notice the difference. I don’t cook many of those, so the difference isn’t worth worring about (for me).
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/11 "2010-03-06T06:11:39Z")
According to the [Mayo Clinic](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sea-salt/AN01142), they are about the same. Sea salt does contain iodine, not as much as processed salt, but probably enough.
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/12 "2010-03-06T06:16:52Z")
So let me see if I have this straight. Based on what I’ve read in this thread:
Sea salt is fleur de sel. But fleur de sel is only sea salt if it comes from the fancy crystals on top. Fleur de sel is grey salt. Grey salt is not fleur de sel. Sea salt is just salt, which I assume is the same as table salt, which is refined. Sea salt is also refined, except when it’s not. Mined salt is not sea salt. Mined salt \*is \*sea salt, which is also refined, except of course, when it’s not. Kosher salt has the good texture, not sea salt, unless the sea salt is unrefined, then \*it \*has the good texture. Sea salt has no iodine, except maybe a little. And kosher salt has no iodine, or maybe it does. Processed salt has more iodine than them all.
Does that sound about right?
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/13 "2010-03-06T07:37:35Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> So let me see if I have this straight. Based on what I’ve read in this thread:
>
> Sea salt is fleur de sel. But fleur de sel is only sea salt if it comes from the fancy crystals on top. Fleur de sel is grey salt. Grey salt is not fleur de sel. Sea salt is just salt, which I assume is the same as table salt, which is refined. Sea salt is also refined, except when it’s not. Mined salt is not sea salt. Mined salt \*is \*sea salt, which is also refined, except of course, when it’s not. Kosher salt has the good texture, not sea salt, unless the sea salt is unrefined, then \*it \*has the good texture. Sea salt has no iodine, except maybe a little. And kosher salt has no iodine, or maybe it does. Processed salt has more iodine than them all.
>
> Does that sound about right?
Not quite. _Fleur de sel_ & Grey salt are sea salts. They are special sea salts, not all (in fact quite little) sea salt is fleur de sel or Grey salt. Regular sea salt, labeled just “sea salt” _is_ refined and the same as table salt, except that it may or may not have added iodine- and table salt doesn’t have to have iodine if it is labeled as such. \* Fleur de sel\* & Grey salt are expensive gourmet special types of sea salt. They taste different than table salt.
You can buy most salts in iodized or non-iodized versions, just read the label. My bottle of Grey salt shows it has iodine, but no _added_ iodine.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/14 "2010-03-07T19:47:30Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> So let me see if I have this straight. Based on what I’ve read in this thread:
>
> Sea salt is fleur de sel. But fleur de sel is only sea salt if it comes from the fancy crystals on top. Fleur de sel is grey salt. Grey salt is not fleur de sel. Sea salt is just salt, which I assume is the same as table salt, which is refined. Sea salt is also refined, except when it’s not. Mined salt is not sea salt. Mined salt \*is \*sea salt, which is also refined, except of course, when it’s not. Kosher salt has the good texture, not sea salt, unless the sea salt is unrefined, then \*it \*has the good texture. Sea salt has no iodine, except maybe a little. And kosher salt has no iodine, or maybe it does. Processed salt has more iodine than them all.
>
> Does that sound about right?
Except for the fact that once cooked into a dish, they all taste exactly the same.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/15 "2010-03-07T20:04:56Z")
Some salts do have trace compounds in them that could in principle effect the flavor even when dissolved, though I’m sure it’d be subtle. But for fancy salts where the fanciness is based on the shape of the crystal, like koshering salt or fleur de sel, you lose the whole point of it once it’s dissolved, so you should only spring extra for those in cases where you’re going to sprinkle it on the surface immediately before eating.
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### Author:  [@boilercake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boilercake)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/16 "2010-03-07T20:48:19Z")
I’ve had several items enhanced with sea salt, not a one of which was equal to or better than the same product with regular salt, e.g. Planter’s Peanuts, for one. I don’t know if the quantity is the problem but I want salty nuts and sea salt ain’t doing it for me!!!
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### Author:  [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/17 "2010-03-07T20:49:56Z")
Is there any salt that is more salty than other salts? My mother gave me some salt in a container and it seems that I have add less than regular salt or my food is over salted. It also looks less refined than normal salt.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/18 "2010-03-07T23:46:11Z")
> [@Caveat\_lector\_1](#):
>
> Is there any salt that is more salty than other salts? My mother gave me some salt in a container and it seems that I have add less than regular salt or my food is over salted. It also looks less refined than normal salt.
Part of it is a matter of surface area in contact with your tongue. Sea and kosher salts are larger crystals and may seem saltier, but what you’re really tasting is more salt. Sort of like dissolving a tablespoon of salt in a cup of water instead of a teaspoon.
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/19 "2010-03-08T00:51:25Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Except for the fact that once cooked into a dish, they all taste exactly the same.
Well, **Chefguy** whose name ought to indicate more knowledge, even though they all taste the same, they don’t all act the same, and if you were to try to substitute one for the other without knowing what you were doing, you’d end up with vastly different tastes (mostly, “too salty”). For things with salt dissolved in the material, and if you measure by weight, not too much of a difference. I’m prone to over-season my steaks if all I have is stupid granulated salt, though.
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### Author:  [@berff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berff)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-sea-salt/531489/20 "2010-03-08T01:29:20Z")
Speaking of salt, is there any real difference in potassium based salt vs. sodium based salt? I mean, other than the fact that one has potassium and one has sodium? I’ve also noticed that the crystals in the potassium salt are smaller but both kinds taste identical to me. I’ve mostly used it only on snack foods like popcorn and fries but I’m wondering whether it would also suitable for cooking? Is there a good reason that it’s not used more widely?
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