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Every Type of Salt Explained: The Hidden Stories, Secrets, and Surprising Uses Behind Every Crystal — Transcript

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0:00What if I told you one jar of salt could
0:02cost less than a dollar while another
0:04sells for nearly $100? They may all look
0:07like tiny white crystals, but that's
0:09where the similarities end. Some salts
0:12have shaped entire civilizations. Others
0:14were once worth more than gold. A few
0:17are harvested by hand for only a few
0:19days each year while one rare variety
0:21naturally forms in brilliant shades of
0:23blue. From the everyday salt sitting in
0:26your kitchen cabinet to the world's
0:27rarest gourmet crystals, every type has
0:30its own history, flavor, and surprising
0:33secret. Today, we're exploring every
0:35major salt you'll ever encounter. And by
0:38the end of this video, you'll know
0:40exactly what makes each one unique, why
0:43chefs obsess over certain varieties, and
0:45whether any of the expensive ones are
0:47actually worth buying. Let's begin with
0:50the salt almost everyone uses every
0:52single day. Number one, table salt. If
0:55there were a king of everyday seasoning,
0:57table salt would wear the crown. Nearly
1:00every household has it, yet very few
1:03people know how much engineering goes
1:05into something so ordinary. Most table
1:07salt begins as either underground rock
1:09salt or seawater. After being harvested,
1:13it goes through heavy refining until
1:15it's almost pure sodium chloride. Nearly
1:18everything else is removed, leaving
1:20behind clean, bright white crystals that
1:23dissolve almost instantly. That
1:26fast-dissolving quality isn't
1:27accidental. Manufacturers carefully
1:30control the crystal size so the salt
1:32spreads evenly and delivers the same
1:34flavor every single time. That's why
1:37recipes relying on table salt tend to be
1:39extremely consistent. But the biggest
1:42innovation wasn't about flavor. Back in
1:44the 1920s, iodine deficiency caused
1:47widespread thyroid problems across many
1:49parts of the United States. Adding
1:51iodine to ordinary table salt became one
1:54of the simplest public health solutions
1:56ever introduced, dramatically reducing
1:59those illnesses within a generation.
2:01Most people never even notice another
2:03ingredient quietly doing its job.
2:05>> [music]
2:05>> Anti-caking agents keep the crystals
2:07from sticking together, allowing the
2:09salt to pour freely even in humid
2:12kitchens. Simple, reliable, inexpensive,
2:16it may never impress gourmet chefs, but
2:18few ingredients have quietly improved
2:20both cooking and public health as much
2:22as ordinary table salt. The next salt
2:25looks similar at first glance, but its
2:27larger flakes completely change how
2:29professional chefs season food, and one
2:32hidden difference catches home cooks by
2:34surprise. Number two, kosher salt. At
2:38first glance, kosher salt doesn't seem
2:40very different from table salt, but pick
2:42up a pinch and you'll immediately
2:44understand why professional chefs swear
2:46by it. Instead of tiny, compact grains,
2:50kosher salt forms large, light flakes
2:52that feel almost weightless between your
2:55fingers. Those flakes create far [music]
2:57more surface area, allowing the salt to
3:00grab moisture quickly and spread evenly
3:02across food. That's exactly why it
3:05became the preferred salt for the
3:07traditional Jewish process of koshering
3:09meat, where salt is used to draw out
3:11blood before cooking. The salt's name
3:14comes from this practice, not because
3:16the salt itself is automatically kosher.
3:19Today, however, chefs love it for an
3:21entirely different reason. Those large
3:24flakes give you incredible control while
3:26seasoning. You can literally feel how
3:29much salt you're adding with every
3:30pinch, making it much harder to
3:33accidentally over-season a dish. But
3:35here's the hidden trap that catches
3:37thousands of home cooks every year.
3:39Kosher salt isn't standardized. One
3:41tablespoon from one brand can weigh
3:43significantly more or less than the
3:46exact same tablespoon from another
3:48brand. [music]
3:49Two recipes may both call for one
3:51tablespoon of kosher salt, yet the final
3:53dish can taste completely different
3:56depending on which brand you use. Many
3:58people blame themselves when a recipe
4:00turns out overly salty. [music] In
4:02reality, the recipe may have been
4:03written using a different brand
4:05altogether. That's why experienced chefs
4:08often recommend measuring kosher salt by
4:10weight [music] instead of volume
4:12whenever precision matters. Even with
4:14that quirk, kosher salt remains one of
4:16the most versatile salts you can keep in
4:18your kitchen. It's perfect for seasoning
4:21before grilling, roasting vegetables,
4:23curing meats, and adding layers of
4:26flavor throughout the cooking process.
4:28But despite its popularity, kosher salt
4:30is still a factory produced product. The
4:33next salt is much closer to nature
4:35itself, formed simply [music] by sun,
4:37wind, and the sea with almost no
4:39refining at all. Number three, sea salt.
4:42Long before factories refined salt into
4:45perfect white crystals,
4:46>> [music]
4:47>> people simply let nature do the work.
4:49That's exactly how sea salt is made. It
4:51begins with nothing more than sea water.
4:54As the sun heats the surface and the
4:56wind carries away the moisture, water
4:58slowly disappears until only sparkling
5:01crystals [music] remain. Because the
5:03salt undergoes very little processing,
5:06it keeps tiny amounts of naturally
5:08occurring minerals like magnesium,
5:10calcium, and potassium. These minerals
5:13are the reason some sea salts appear
5:15off-white or even light gray instead of
5:17perfectly white. They also explain why
5:20sea salt from different coastlines can
5:22taste surprisingly different. A sea salt
5:25harvested from the Mediterranean won't
5:27taste exactly like one collected off the
5:29coast of Australia or Japan. Even subtle
5:32differences in climate, water
5:34composition, and harvesting methods can
5:36influence the final flavor. Many people
5:38believe those extra minerals make sea
5:41salt much healthier than ordinary table
5:43salt. Not exactly. While the minerals
5:46are real, they're present in such small
5:48amounts that they contribute very little
5:50to your daily nutritional needs. From a
5:53health perspective, sea salt and table
5:55salt are far more alike than most
5:57advertisements would have you believe.
5:59Where sea salt truly stands out is in
6:01texture and flavor. It's larger,
6:03irregular crystals create tiny bursts of
6:06crunch that chefs often use to finish
6:09grilled vegetables, seafood, [music]
6:11fresh salads, or artisan bread. Instead
6:14of disappearing into the food, the
6:16crystals remain visible, adding [music]
6:18both texture and visual appeal. But
6:20here's an incredible fact. Some of the
6:22world's most celebrated sea salt isn't
6:25collected from the bottom of a salt pond
6:27at all. It's harvested from an
6:29impossibly thin layer that floats on the
6:31very surface of the water, and every
6:33delicate crystal must be gathered
6:35entirely by hand. We'll discover that
6:38extraordinary salt a little later. For
6:40now, let's leave the ocean behind and
6:42travel hundreds of millions of years
6:44into the past where entire ancient seas
6:47transformed into solid rock beneath the
6:50earth. Number four, rock [music] salt.
6:53Imagine standing on solid ground while
6:55an entire ancient ocean lies buried
6:58beneath your feet. That isn't science
7:00fiction. It's exactly where [music] rock
7:02salt comes from. Hundreds of millions of
7:04years ago, vast inland seas slowly
7:07evaporated, leaving behind enormous
7:10layers of salt that became trapped
7:12beneath layers of stone. Over time,
7:15those ancient deposits hardened into
7:17massive underground formations that
7:19miners still extract today. Some of
7:22these deposits are almost impossible to
7:24comprehend. Beneath the city of Detroit,
7:26for example, stretches a gigantic
7:29network of salt mines carved through one
7:31of the largest underground salt beds in
7:34North America.
7:35Far below the streets, miners continue
7:38harvesting crystals that first formed
7:40when prehistoric seas disappeared long
7:42before humans ever existed. Freshly
7:45mined rock salt, however, doesn't look
7:47anything like the clean white crystals
7:49on your dinner table. In its natural
7:51state, it's mixed with clay, sand,
7:53minerals, and other impurities, giving
7:56it a rough appearance that makes it
7:57unsuitable for cooking. That's why much
8:00of it ends up somewhere completely
8:01different. Every winter, millions of
8:04tons of untreated rock salt are spread
8:06across highways and sidewalks to melt
8:08snow and ice, making roads safer for
8:11drivers around the world. But another
8:13portion follows a very different
8:15journey. After being crushed, purified,
8:18and refined, that same ancient rock
8:20becomes many of the familiar salts
8:23sitting on supermarket shelves,
8:25including ordinary table salt and even
8:27some brands of kosher salt. It's one of
8:30the biggest surprises in the salt world.
8:32The cheapest bag of deicing salt and the
8:35refined salt in your kitchen may have
8:37started life inside the exact same
8:39underground deposit. The difference lies
8:42entirely in how they're processed after
8:44being mined. Now, we're about to meet
8:46perhaps the most famous gourmet salt on
8:49Earth, a beautiful pink crystal that
8:52appears in grinders, cooking blocks, spa
8:55treatments, and decorative lamps.
8:57Despite its popularity, almost
8:59everything people think they know about
9:00it is wrong. Number five, Himalayan pink
9:03salt. Walk into almost any gourmet
9:06grocery store and you'll probably spot
9:07it immediately.
9:10packed inside elegant grinders, massive
9:12cooking slabs, decorative lamps glowing
9:15with a warm orange light. Himalayan pink
9:17salt has become one of the world's most
9:19recognizable specialty salts, but it's
9:22also surrounded by more myths than
9:25almost any other variety. Let's clear up
9:27the biggest one first. Despite its name,
9:30Himalayan pink salt doesn't actually
9:32come from the Himalayas. Nearly all of
9:34it is mined from the Khewra Salt Mine in
9:37Pakistan, located in the Salt Range, a
9:41separate chain of hills sitting hundreds
9:43of miles south of the Himalayan peaks.
9:45The name sounds more exotic than the
9:47geography actually is. Its beautiful
9:50pink color isn't magical, either. It's
9:52created by tiny traces of iron oxide
9:55trapped inside the crystal over millions
9:57of years. Those microscopic mineral
10:00deposits scatter light just enough to
10:02produce the soft pink glow people
10:04instantly recognize. The mine itself is
10:07astonishing. Khewra is one of the
10:09largest and oldest salt mines on Earth,
10:12stretching for miles underground. Every
10:15year, hundreds of thousands of visitors
10:17explore its tunnels, where entire
10:19chambers, sculptures, and even a
10:21functioning mosque have been built
10:23entirely from glowing blocks of salt.
10:26It's one of the few places where the
10:27walls themselves seem to shine. But now
10:30comes the myth that refuses to
10:32disappear. Many advertisements claim
10:34Himalayan pink salt contains dozens of
10:37minerals that dramatically improve your
10:39health. Technically, that's true.
10:41Practically, it means almost nothing.
10:43Those trace minerals account for only a
10:46tiny fraction of the crystal. More than
10:4895% of Himalayan pink salt is still
10:52ordinary sodium chloride. You'd have to
10:54consume dangerously large amounts of
10:56salt just to get meaningful quantities
10:58of those extra minerals, something no
11:00doctor would ever [music] recommend. So,
11:02why do chefs still enjoy using it?
11:05Because of its flavor. It has a clean,
11:07mellow taste with slightly less
11:09harshness than heavily refined table
11:11salt, making it an excellent finishing
11:14salt for grilled meats, roasted
11:16vegetables, seafood, and fresh salads.
11:18In the end, [music] Himalayan pink salt
11:20isn't a miracle health food. It's simply
11:23a beautiful natural salt with an
11:25incredible geological story behind it.
11:27But everything we've covered so far is
11:29still relatively affordable. The next
11:31salt is harvested so delicately that
11:33only a paper thin layer can be collected
11:36each day, and that's exactly why chefs
11:38are willing to pay extraordinary prices
11:40for it. Number six, fleur de sel. Most
11:44salts are harvested from the bottom.
11:45This one is collected from the top. So
11:48delicate, so rare, and so labor
11:50intensive that chefs often call it the
11:52caviar of salt. Welcome to fleur de sel.
11:55Its name literally means flower of salt,
11:58and once you see how it's harvested
12:00makes perfect sense. In the famous salt
12:02marshes of Guérande, France, something
12:05remarkable happens on warm, dry
12:07afternoons. As seawater slowly
12:09evaporates under the sun, an impossibly
12:12thin layer of fragile crystals begins
12:15floating across the surface like tiny
12:17white flowers blooming on the water.
12:19Those crystals survive only if nature
12:21cooperates. The temperature has to be
12:23just right. The humidity must stay low.
12:26Even the wind matters. A gentle eastern
12:28breeze helps create perfect conditions,
12:31while unexpected rain or strong gusts
12:33can destroy the entire day's harvest
12:35within minutes. That's why fleur de sel
12:38can never be mass-produced. Instead of
12:40machines, skilled salt workers carefully
12:43skim the fragile surface by hand using
12:46long wooden rakes, lifting only the
12:49paper-thin layer without disturbing the
12:51heavier salt forming underneath. Each
12:53pond produces only a tiny amount every
12:55day. That's one of the biggest reasons
12:58fleur de sel commands such a premium
13:00price. Ironically, it wasn't always
13:03considered valuable. Centuries ago,
13:05workers viewed this floating layer as
13:07little more than an inconvenience. They
13:10scraped it away simply to reach the
13:12larger salt crystals below, often
13:14throwing it aside without a second
13:16thought. Only later did chefs discover
13:18what they had been discarding. Unlike
13:20dry, hard salts, fleur de sel retains a
13:23slight natural moisture. The crystals
13:26are soft, delicate, and almost melt
13:29across your tongue instead of delivering
13:31a sharp burst of saltiness. Its flavor
13:33is subtle, clean, and surprisingly
13:35complex.
13:36>> [music]
13:36>> That's why professional chefs almost
13:38never cook with it. Heat would destroy
13:40everything that makes it special.
13:42Instead, fleur de sel is added at the
13:45very last second, sprinkled over grilled
13:48steak, roasted vegetables, [music] fresh
13:50tomatoes, artisan bread, rich caramel,
13:53or even dark chocolate, where every
13:56crystal remains visible and every bite
13:59delivers a gentle crunch. Sometimes the
14:01final touch makes all the difference,
14:03but underneath those floating crystals
14:05lies another famous French salt with a
14:08completely different personality,
14:10darker, bolder, and built for everyday
14:13cooking rather than elegant finishing
14:15touches. Number seven, sel gris. Just
14:18beneath the delicate layer of fleur de
14:20sel lies another treasure hidden in the
14:23very same salt marshes. It couldn't be
14:25more different. Where fleur de sel is
14:28light and elegant, sel gris is bold,
14:31rugged, and built for real cooking. Its
14:34name means gray salt, and unlike many
14:37people assume, that color isn't caused
14:39by dirt or impurities. It's created
14:42naturally. As the larger crystals settle
14:44to the bottom of the salt ponds, they
14:46come into direct contact with the
14:48mineral-rich clay beneath them. Over
14:50time, the salt absorbs tiny amounts of
14:53those minerals, giving it its signature
14:55gray color and a noticeably [music]
14:57deeper flavor. This isn't a modern
15:00invention, either. People have been
15:02harvesting sel gris from the French
15:04coast for over 2,000 years, dating back
15:07to the ancient Celtic civilizations.
15:10Even today, many producers still rely on
15:13traditional wooden tools and
15:15centuries-old harvesting methods [music]
15:17passed down through generations. One
15:20thing you'll notice immediately is its
15:21texture. Unlike dry table salt, sel gris
15:25stays naturally damp. The crystals are
15:27larger, heavier, and slightly sticky,
15:29making them clump together in your hand.
15:32That moisture is exactly what gives it
15:34so much character. Instead of delivering
15:36a quick burst of saltiness, sel gris
15:38brings a richer, almost ocean-like
15:41flavor that develops gradually while
15:43food cooks. Because of its bold
15:45personality, chefs rarely use it as a
15:48finishing salt. Instead, it shines
15:51during the cooking process itself. It's
15:53outstanding for seasoning pasta water,
15:56dry brining steaks, roasting root
15:58vegetables, curing meats, or adding
16:01depth to slow-cooked stews. Its strong
16:04mineral profile allows it to hold its
16:07flavor even during long cooking times,
16:09making it one of the hardest working
16:11salts in professional kitchens. If fleur
16:14de sel is the elegant jewelry of French
16:16cuisine, sel gris is the dependable
16:18workhorse that quietly handles the heavy
16:20lifting every day. But, cross the
16:22English Channel and salt takes on an
16:24entirely different identity. The next
16:27variety isn't famous because of its
16:28minerals or its history. It's famous
16:31because of one unforgettable sensation,
16:33the incredible crunch of its delicate
16:35pyramid-shaped flakes. Number eight,
16:38Maldon sea salt. Some salts disappear
16:41the moment they touch your tongue.
16:42Maldon does the exact opposite. It
16:45shatters. That's the unmistakable
16:47quality that has made Maldon sea salt
16:50one of the most respected finishing
16:51salts in the world. Produced in the
16:54small coastal town of Maldon in Essex,
16:56England, this salt has earned an almost
16:59legendary reputation among professional
17:02chefs, not because it's the saltiest,
17:05but because of the remarkable way its
17:07crystals feel when you eat them. Its
17:09signature pyramid-shaped flakes are no
17:11accident. After seawater is carefully
17:13filtered, it's gently heated under
17:15controlled conditions until delicate
17:18hollow crystals begin to form. Instead
17:20of creating dense grains, the process
17:23produces [music] thin, fragile pyramids
17:25that are surprisingly light and crisp.
17:28Pick up a flake between your fingers and
17:30you'll notice something immediately. It
17:32crushes with almost no effort. That
17:34delicate crunch creates tiny bursts of
17:37saltiness that dissolve gradually rather
17:40than all at once, giving every bite a
17:42satisfying texture that's impossible to
17:45achieve with ordinary salt. Maldon's
17:47history stretches back much further than
17:49the modern company itself. The Osborne
17:51family has operated the business since
17:531882,
17:55but salt has been produced in this area
17:57for nearly a thousand years. Historical
18:00records from the Domesday Book of 1086
18:03documented numerous saltworks around
18:05Maldon, and many historians believe the
18:07Romans were harvesting sea salt here
18:09nearly 2,000 years ago. Few salts can
18:12claim such an unbroken connection to
18:14history. Its reputation eventually
18:16reached the highest levels of British
18:18society. Today, Maldon proudly holds a
18:21royal warrant, meaning it has been
18:23officially supplied to the British royal
18:25household, a distinction reserved for
18:28companies that consistently provide
18:30exceptional quality. Yet, despite its
18:33prestigious status, Maldon remains
18:35wonderfully simple. Its flavor [music]
18:37is clean, bright, and balanced without
18:40the harsh edge sometimes found in
18:42heavily refined salts. The real magic
18:44lies in the texture, making it ideal as
18:47a finishing touch rather than an
18:49ingredient hidden during cooking. A few
18:51flakes scattered over grilled steak,
18:54fresh sourdough with butter, roasted
18:56vegetables, chocolate chip cookies, even
18:59a perfectly fried egg. Each crystal
19:01stays intact just long enough to deliver
19:03one satisfying crunch before melting
19:06away. But, while England became famous
19:08for perfecting flaky salt, just across
19:11the water, [music] another small island
19:13created a sea salt so unique that the
19:16British government gave it the same
19:17legal protection as champagne. Number
19:20nine, Halen Mon. Great discoveries don't
19:23always begin in laboratories. Sometimes
19:26they begin in an ordinary kitchen.
19:28That's exactly how Halen Mon was born.
19:30In 1997, a husband and wife living on
19:33the Welsh island of Anglesey decided to
19:35boil a pot of local seawater simply to
19:38see what would happen. They weren't
19:40trying to build a luxury food brand.
19:42They were satisfying their curiosity. To
19:44their surprise, the crystals that formed
19:46were exceptionally pure, clean, and
19:48unlike anything sold in supermarkets.
19:51That small kitchen experiment eventually
19:53grew into one of Britain's most
19:55celebrated artisan salt producers. But
19:58luck wasn't the only reason for its
20:00success. The seawater surrounding
20:02Anglesey is naturally filtered as
20:04powerful tides move through the Menai
20:07Strait, removing many impurities before
20:10the water is ever collected. The result
20:12is an unusually clean source that
20:14requires very little intervention. Even
20:17after harvesting, the crystals receive
20:19one final touch. They're gently rinsed
20:22to soften their sharp edges, creating a
20:24smoother, rounder flavor that many
20:27people describe as almost slightly
20:29sweet. Unlike aggressive finishing salts
20:31that immediately dominate a dish, Halen
20:34Mon enhances food with remarkable
20:36balance, allowing natural flavors to
20:38remain the star. Its reputation quickly
20:41spread far beyond Wales. In 2014, Halen
20:45Mon became the first British salt to
20:47receive protected designation of origin
20:50status, [music]
20:51the same type of legal protection
20:52granted to products like champagne and
20:54Parma ham. Only salt produced in this
20:57specific region using its traditional
20:59methods can legally carry the Halen Mon
21:02name. There's another fascinating detail
21:04hidden behind every batch. Because the
21:07British Crown technically owns much of
21:09the country's coastline, the company
21:11actually pays rent for the right to draw
21:13seawater from the surrounding waters.
21:15>> [music]
21:16>> It's one of the few gourmet ingredients
21:18whose story begins with paperwork before
21:20[music] it ever reaches the pan. Today,
21:22Halen Môn is prized by chefs for
21:25seafood, roasted poultry, fresh
21:27vegetables, artisan [music] bread, and
21:30delicate desserts where subtle seasoning
21:32makes all the difference. It's proof
21:34that sometimes simplicity done perfectly
21:36can become world-famous. But, the next
21:38salt couldn't be more different. Instead
21:40of smelling fresh and clean, it releases
21:43a powerful aroma that surprises almost
21:46everyone the first time they open the
21:47jar. Some people think something has
21:49gone horribly wrong. Others instantly
21:52recognize the unmistakable scent of
21:54boiled eggs. And that's exactly how it's
21:56supposed to smell. Number 10, Kala
21:59Namak. Open a jar of Kala Namak for the
22:02first time, and you might think someone
22:04left a hard-boiled egg sitting in the
22:06kitchen. That unmistakable sulfur aroma
22:09is so powerful that many people assume
22:12the salt has gone bad. In reality,
22:14that's exactly what makes it special.
22:17Kala Namak, often called Indian black
22:20salt, has been a staple of South Asian
22:22cuisine for centuries. Despite its name,
22:25it isn't truly black at all. Large
22:28chunks usually appear deep purple or
22:30dark brown, while the ground version
22:33often turns pinkish gray. Its appearance
22:36isn't what people remember, though. It's
22:38the smell. That signature egg-like aroma
22:41comes from naturally occurring sulfur
22:43compounds created during production. The
22:46scent is almost identical to the one
22:48released by cooked eggs, giving Kala
22:51Namak one of the most recognizable
22:53flavor profiles [music] in the culinary
22:55world. Here's something many people
22:57don't realize. Not all Kala Namak is
22:59simply mined from the earth. Traditional
23:01producers often transform ordinary salt
23:04through a fascinating process. The salt
23:07is sealed together with charcoal, herbs,
23:09seeds, and natural minerals before being
23:12heated for many hours at extremely high
23:14temperatures. During this process,
23:16chemical reactions create the sulfur
23:19compounds responsible for its famous
23:21aroma and distinctive taste. In other
23:24words, the magic happens in the fire.
23:26That unique flavor has made Kala Namak
23:29irreplaceable in countless Indian
23:31dishes, especially chaats, fruit salads,
23:34chutneys, and spice blends, where just a
23:37small pinch adds incredible depth. But
23:40perhaps its biggest rise to fame has
23:42come from modern vegan cooking. Because
23:45the sulfur compounds closely mimic the
23:47flavor of cooked eggs, vegan chefs use
23:51Kala Namak to transform scrambled tofu,
23:54chickpea omelets, vegan mayonnaise, and
23:57plant-based breakfast dishes into
23:59something remarkably similar to
24:01traditional egg recipes. It's one of the
24:03simplest ingredients capable of
24:05completely fooling your senses. Your
24:07eyes may tell you you're eating tofu.
24:10Your nose insists it's scrambled eggs.
24:12And your brain struggles to decide which
24:14one to believe. Few ingredients create
24:17such a dramatic sensory illusion. But
24:19while Kala Namak is famous for its
24:21unforgettable aroma, the next two salts
24:24are all about visual impact. One is a
24:26brilliant volcanic red. The other is jet
24:29black. Together, they've two of the most
24:32striking finishing salts ever placed on
24:34a plate. Number 11, Hawaiian red alaea
24:38salt and hiwa kai black salt. Most
24:41gourmet salts are admired for their
24:43flavor. These two stop people before
24:46they even take a bite. One is the color
24:48of volcanic earth. The other is as black
24:50as polished obsidian. Together, they
24:53represent two of Hawaii's most visually
24:55stunning culinary traditions. Let's
24:58start with the red one, Alaea Salt.
25:00Alaea Salt begins as pure Hawaiian sea
25:03salt, but its signature color comes from
25:05something completely natural. Red
25:08volcanic clay, rich in iron oxide, the
25:11clay coats every crystal with a warm
25:13brick red hue while adding a subtle
25:16earthy character that makes the flavor
25:18slightly softer and more rounded than
25:20ordinary sea salt. For native Hawaiians,
25:22however, Alaea Salt has always been much
25:25more than seasoning. For generations, it
25:28played an important role in traditional
25:30ceremonies, purification rituals, and
25:32cultural celebrations. It wasn't simply
25:34sprinkled over food, it carried deep
25:37spiritual significance as well. Its
25:39culinary history is just as impressive.
25:41During the 19th century, Hawaiian red
25:44salt was even exported across the
25:46Pacific to help preserve salmon in the
25:48Pacific Northwest. Today, it remains an
25:51essential ingredient in classic Hawaiian
25:54dishes like kalua pig, poke, and
25:56traditional roasted meats, where its
25:59mild mineral flavor complements rather
26:01than overwhelms the food. But if Alaea
26:04Salt is all about warm earth tones, its
26:07island companion heads in the exact
26:08opposite direction. Hiwa Kai Black Salt.
26:12Hiwa Kai is one of the most dramatic
26:14looking salts you'll ever see. The
26:16crystals are deep black with a glossy
26:18finish that instantly catches the eye.
26:21Many people assume the color comes from
26:23volcanic lava. It doesn't. Despite being
26:26marketed as black lava salt, there's
26:28actually no lava in the product. The
26:31striking color comes from activated
26:33charcoal, most commonly made from burned
26:35coconut shells, blended with natural
26:38Hawaiian sea salt. The charcoal
26:40contributes very little flavor. Instead,
26:43its purpose is almost entirely visual.
26:45Hiwa Kai delivers a clean, crisp
26:48saltiness with only the faintest hint of
26:51smokiness. The real appeal is the
26:53stunning contrast it creates on the
26:55plate. Imagine glossy black crystals
26:58scattered across a perfectly seared
27:00scallop, a piece of grilled white fish,
27:03fresh mozzarella, or creamy mashed
27:05potatoes. The colors alone transform an
27:08ordinary dish into something that looks
27:10worthy of a fine dining restaurant.
27:12That's why Hiwa Kai is almost always
27:15used as a finishing salt rather than
27:17during [music] cooking. Its beauty
27:19deserves to be seen. Interestingly,
27:21Hawaii isn't the only place producing
27:23dramatic black salt.
27:25>> [music]
27:25>> Across the Mediterranean, Cyprus creates
27:27a similar charcoal infused flake salt
27:30[music] for exactly the same reason,
27:32pure visual impact. But the next salt
27:35doesn't rely on charcoal, clay, [music]
27:38or any added ingredient for its
27:39incredible appearance. Its brilliant
27:41blue color is completely natural. And
27:44because so little of it exists, most
27:46people will never see it outside of
27:48photographs. Number 12, Persian blue
27:51salt. If someone handed you a handful of
27:53naturally blue salt, you'd probably
27:56assume it had been dyed. Not this one.
27:58Persian blue salt is one of the rarest
28:01and most visually stunning salts on
28:03earth, and every streak of blue is
28:05completely natural. Harvested from
28:07ancient rock salt deposits in northern
28:09Iran, these crystals were formed when
28:12prehistoric seas evaporated over 100
28:15million years ago.
28:17For countless millennia, immense
28:19pressure transformed those deposits
28:21[music]
28:21into dense, mineral-rich stone hidden
28:24deep beneath the mountains. Then nature
28:26did something extraordinary. Tiny
28:28amounts of the mineral sylvite became
28:30trapped inside certain crystals, [music]
28:32subtly altering the way light passes
28:34through them. Instead of appearing white
28:36or pink, [music] parts of the crystal
28:38shimmer with brilliant shades of icy
28:40blue. No coloring, no artificial
28:43treatment, just geology performing a
28:45trick that seems almost impossible.
28:47Because only a small percentage of the
28:49mined crystals display this effect,
28:51finding premium quality Persian blue
28:53salt is incredibly difficult. Each
28:56crystal must be carefully sorted by
28:58hand, making large quantities nearly
29:00impossible to produce. That rarity
29:03explains why it's considered one of the
29:05world's most exclusive [music] gourmet
29:07salts. Its flavor is just as unusual as
29:10its appearance. Unlike many salts that
29:12hit your tongue with an immediate burst
29:14of salinity, Persian blue salt [music]
29:16starts with a bold, clean saltiness
29:19before gradually revealing subtle
29:21mineral notes with a faint citrus-like
29:24finish. Some chefs even describe the
29:26aftertaste as slightly lemony. The
29:28texture adds another layer of luxury.
29:31Its dense crystals deliver an
29:32exceptionally crisp crunch that lingers
29:35longer than most finishing salts, making
29:38every bite feel more deliberate and
29:40refined. Because of its rarity,
29:42professional chefs rarely use it during
29:45cooking. Instead, it's reserved for
29:47finishing premium ingredients, where
29:49both its beauty and texture can be fully
29:52appreciated. Fresh oysters, delicate
29:55seafood, high-quality beef, dark
29:58chocolate, or even a simple slice of
30:00buttered artisan bread. Sometimes just a
30:02few blue crystals are enough to
30:04transform an ordinary plate into
30:07something unforgettable. Worldwide
30:09production is astonishingly small. Only
30:12a few tons reach the market each year,
30:14meaning most people will never have the
30:16chance to taste the real thing. But
30:18despite its rarity, Persian blue salt
30:21still isn't the most expensive salt on
30:23this list. That title belongs to a
30:25remarkable Korean salt that isn't
30:28valuable because of where it's found.
30:30It's valuable because of what people do
30:32to it. Imagine roasting the same [music]
30:34salt once, then again, and again, until
30:37you've repeated the process nine
30:39separate times inside real bamboo
30:41stalks. The result is unlike any other
30:43salt in the world. Number 13, bamboo
30:46salt Jukyeom. Some luxury foods are
30:49expensive because they're rare. Bamboo
30:51salt is expensive because almost no one
30:53has the patience to make it. Known in
30:55Korea as Jukyeom, this remarkable salt
30:59undergoes one of the most demanding
31:01production methods in the culinary
31:02world.
31:03>> [music]
31:03>> It doesn't begin in a mine. It starts
31:05with ordinary sea salt. But from that
31:07point on, everything changes. Workers
31:10tightly pack the salt inside [music]
31:12thick bamboo stalks before sealing both
31:14ends with natural clay. The bamboo is
31:17then placed over an intense pinewood
31:19fire and roasted until the stalks are
31:21completely burned away. For most foods,
31:24that would be the end of the process.
31:25For bamboo salt, it's only the
31:27beginning. The roasted salt is
31:29collected, packed into fresh bamboo,
31:32sealed again, and fired once more. Then
31:35it happens again, and again. By the time
31:37premium bamboo salt reaches the market,
31:40this cycle has been repeated nine
31:42separate times. Each roasting removes
31:44impurities while allowing trace minerals
31:47from the bamboo and clay to interact
31:49with the salt. The final firing becomes
31:51so hot that the crystals partially melt
31:54together into a dense, rock-like mass
31:57that must later be crushed by hand.
31:59>> [music]
31:59>> The entire process can take weeks. It's
32:01slow, labor-intensive, and incredibly
32:04expensive. That's why a single small jar
32:07of authentic nine-times roasted bamboo
32:10salt can cost close to $100. It's flavor
32:13is unlike ordinary sea salt. The first
32:16taste is savory and rich, followed by
32:18gentle smoky notes with a subtle sulfur
32:21finish that lingers much longer than
32:23traditional salts. It's bold enough that
32:25only a small pinch is needed.
32:27Historically, Koreans valued bamboo salt
32:30for far more than cooking. For
32:32centuries, it was considered a medicinal
32:35ingredient. People believed it promoted
32:38wellness, and some even used finely
32:40ground bamboo salt in toothpaste because
32:43of its perceived cleansing properties.
32:45Modern science doesn't support every
32:47traditional health claim, but there's no
32:49denying that bamboo salt occupies a
32:52unique place in Korean culinary history.
32:55Today, chefs reserve it for premium
32:57dishes where its complex flavor can
33:00truly stand out. Grilled Wagyu beef,
33:03fresh seafood,
33:04>> [music]
33:04>> roasted mushrooms, or even a perfectly
33:07steamed bowl of rice. Sometimes a few
33:09crystals are all it takes to transform
33:12an entire meal. Yet, even this
33:14extraordinary salt can't compete with
33:16the next one in terms of historical
33:18significance. Its production method
33:20disappeared for over a thousand years.
33:22The world believed it had been lost
33:24forever until archaeologists uncovered
33:26the forgotten secret buried beneath the
33:28soil of Japan. Number 14, Amabito no
33:32Moshio. Some ancient recipes vanish
33:34forever. This one disappeared for more
33:37than a thousand years. For centuries,
33:39historians knew Japan once produced a
33:42legendary sea salt unlike any other, but
33:45nobody knew exactly how it was made. The
33:48knowledge had simply faded from history.
33:50Then in 1984, archaeologists made an
33:53incredible discovery near Hiroshima.
33:56Hidden beneath the soil were fragments
33:58of 5th century pottery coated with
34:00mysterious mineral deposits. As
34:03researchers pieced the evidence
34:04together, they realized they had
34:06uncovered the long-lost method used by
34:09ancient Japanese salt makers. A
34:11tradition that had vanished for over a
34:13millennium was suddenly alive again.
34:16Unlike many coastal regions, Japan has
34:18very few natural rock salt deposits, and
34:21its humid climate makes simple solar
34:23evaporation extremely difficult. Ancient
34:26craftsmen had to find another way. Their
34:28solution was brilliantly simple. They
34:30soaked a special type of seaweed in
34:32seawater, allowing it to absorb minerals
34:35from the ocean. The seaweed was then
34:37simmered together with the seawater over
34:39gentle heat until delicate salt crystals
34:42slowly began to appear. The seaweed
34:45wasn't just part of the process. It
34:47became part of the flavor. As the water
34:49reduced, natural compounds from the
34:51seaweed infused the salt with an
34:53extraordinary depth that ordinary sea
34:56salt could never achieve. The result is
34:59Amabito no Moshio, a finishing salt with
35:02a rich umami character delivering subtle
35:05savory notes alongside its clean
35:08salinity. Instead of simply tasting
35:10salty, it adds complexity to every bite.
35:13That's why Japanese chefs often use it
35:16with foods that seem almost too simple
35:18to improve. Freshly steamed rice,
35:20tempura, grilled fish, silken tofu, even
35:24dark chocolate. The salt doesn't
35:26overpower these ingredients. It quietly
35:29enhances what is already there, allowing
35:31natural flavors to become fuller and
35:33more balanced. Today, production remains
35:36small and carefully controlled. Each
35:38batch honors a method that nearly
35:40vanished from history, making every
35:43crystal a connection to Japan's ancient
35:45culinary heritage. But while Amabito no
35:48Moshio celebrates traditions
35:50rediscovered, the next Japanese salt
35:52pushes patience to an entirely different
35:54level. On a tiny island in Okinawa,
35:57producing a single batch can take nearly
35:59an entire month. And the first stage of
36:01the process involves seawater slowly
36:04dripping through thousands of hanging
36:05bamboo branches before a single crystal
36:08can even begin to form. Number 15, Aguni
36:11Salt. Some gourmet salts take a few days
36:14to produce. Aguni Salt can take nearly
36:16an entire month. On the tiny island of
36:18Aguni, located northwest of Okinawa,
36:21salt making isn't rushed. Every crystal
36:24is the result of patience,
36:26craftsmanship, and a process unlike
36:28anything else in the world. It begins
36:31with fresh seawater drawn from the
36:33pristine waters surrounding the island.
36:35But, instead of boiling it immediately,
36:37the water is pumped to the top of a tall
36:39wooden tower filled with thousands of
36:41hanging bamboo branches. Then, nature
36:44takes over. As the seawater slowly
36:46trickles from branch to branch, the
36:48island's warm sea breeze continuously
36:51evaporates tiny amounts of moisture. Day
36:54after day, the water becomes more
36:56concentrated without using any fuel at
36:58all. After nearly a week, the brine is
37:00already about six times saltier than
37:03ordinary seawater. Only then does the
37:05second stage begin. The concentrated
37:07brine is transferred into large iron
37:10pans and gently simmered over wood fires
37:13for several more days. Workers carefully
37:16monitor the temperature throughout the
37:17process, preventing the crystals from
37:19forming too quickly. It's slow. It's
37:22exhausting. And, there's no shortcut.
37:25Because Aguni Island has almost no heavy
37:28industry, the surrounding ocean remains
37:30exceptionally clean. The finished salt
37:33retains an unusually rich balance of
37:35natural minerals, giving it a flavor
37:37that's both savory and subtly sweet at
37:40the same time. Unlike aggressive
37:42finishing salts that dominate a dish,
37:44Aguni salt delivers remarkable balance.
37:47Its salinity arrives gently, followed by
37:50layers of mineral complexity that linger
37:52long after the first bite. That's why
37:55Japanese chefs often reserve it for
37:57ingredients that don't need to be hidden
37:59behind bold seasoning. Fresh sashimi,
38:02grilled seafood, steamed vegetables,
38:04silken tofu, or a simple bowl of premium
38:07rice. For much of the 20th century,
38:10traditional salt makers like those on
38:11Aguni Island nearly disappeared as Japan
38:14shifted toward mass-produced factory
38:16salt. Many believed this centuries-old
38:19craft would eventually vanish forever.
38:22Instead, a small group of dedicated
38:24artisans refused to let that happen.
38:27They revived the traditional methods,
38:29preserving not only a unique salt, but
38:31an important piece of Japan's cultural
38:33heritage. Today, Aguni salt is admired
38:36around the world, not because it's
38:38flashy, but because every crystal
38:40reflects weeks of careful work and
38:43generations of accumulated knowledge.
38:45But our journey doesn't end in Japan.
38:47Next, we're heading to Australia, where
38:50an environmental disaster unexpectedly
38:53gave birth to one of the world's most
38:55beautiful pink [music] gourmet salts.
38:57Number 16, Murray River salt. Some of
39:00the world's finest gourmet ingredients
39:02were created by accident. Murray River
39:05salt is one of them. Its story doesn't
39:07begin with luxury dining or
39:09centuries-old tradition. It begins with
39:11an environmental crisis. In southeastern
39:14Australia, naturally salty groundwater
39:17had been slowly rising toward the
39:19surface, threatening farmland and
39:21eventually flowing into the Murray
39:23River, one of the country's most
39:25important freshwater systems. If [music]
39:27nothing changed, the damage could have
39:29been enormous. Instead of treating the
39:31salty water as waste, engineers came up
39:33with a brilliant solution. They pumped
39:36the mineral-rich groundwater to the
39:38surface and transformed it into gourmet
39:40[music] salt. What could have become a
39:42major pollution problem was turned into
39:44one of Australia's most celebrated
39:46culinary exports. Every single day, this
39:49process keeps hundreds of tons of salt
39:51from reaching the river system,
39:53>> [music]
39:53>> protecting both farmland and wildlife.
39:56The salt itself is just as remarkable as
39:58the story behind it. It's soft, blush
40:01pink color comes naturally from trace
40:03minerals dissolved in the ancient
40:05underground water. Unlike the deeper
40:07pink [music] tones of Himalayan salt,
40:09Murray River salt has a pale, almost
40:12peach-colored appearance that instantly
40:14stands out on the plate. But its
40:16greatest feature isn't the color, it's
40:18the texture. The crystals form into
40:21incredibly light, delicate flakes that
40:24practically disappear the moment they
40:26touch your tongue. They dissolve faster
40:28than almost any other finishing salt,
40:30delivering a clean burst of salinity
40:33without overpowering the food beneath.
40:35Many chefs describe it as one of the
40:37gentlest gourmet salts available. Its
40:39mild flavor makes it especially popular
40:42on foods where subtle seasoning is
40:44essential. Fresh oysters, grilled white
40:47fish, poached eggs, buttered asparagus,
40:51even creamy desserts like vanilla ice
40:53cream or salted caramel. Because the
40:55flakes are so fragile, they also create
40:57beautiful visual contrast without adding
40:59an unpleasant crunch. It's a salt
41:01designed to complement, not dominate.
41:04Perhaps that's what makes Murray River
41:06salt so memorable. It proves that
41:08innovation doesn't always mean inventing
41:10something new. Sometimes it's simply
41:12means seeing value where everyone else
41:15sees a problem. But, Australia isn't the
41:17only country with naturally pink salt.
41:19High in the Andes Mountains lies another
41:22ancient deposit formed from a
41:23prehistoric ocean, one so massive that
41:26humanity could mine it for thousands of
41:28years without making a noticeable dent.
41:31Number 17, Bolivian Rose Salt. Travel
41:35high into the Andes Mountains and you'll
41:37find one of the oldest salt deposits on
41:39the planet. Long before these towering
41:41peaks existed, this entire region lay
41:44beneath an ancient sea. Over millions of
41:47years, the water disappeared leaving
41:49behind vast layers of mineral-rich salt.
41:52As the Andes slowly rose from the
41:54Earth's crust, those ancient deposits
41:56were lifted thousands of feet into the
41:58sky. Today, they produce one of South
42:01America's most beautiful gourmet salts,
42:03>> [music]
42:03>> Bolivian Rose Salt. At first glance,
42:06many people mistake it for Himalayan
42:08pink salt. But, despite their similar
42:10appearance, their stories couldn't be
42:12more different. Bolivian Rose Salt
42:14[music] is harvested near the edge of
42:16the legendary Salar de Uyuni region,
42:20>> [music]
42:20>> home to one of the largest salt flats on
42:23Earth. The crystals are carved from
42:25ancient rock deposits that have remained
42:27untouched for countless generations. Its
42:30soft rosy color comes naturally from
42:32tiny traces of iron locked inside the
42:34crystal over millions of years. No dyes,
42:37no additives, just nature taking its
42:40time. The flavor is equally refined.
42:42Compared with many bold mineral salts,
42:45Bolivian Rose Salt delivers a smooth,
42:48gentle salinity with a faint natural
42:50sweetness that complements food without
42:53overpowering it. Because of that
42:55balance, chefs often pair it with
42:57premium cuts of beef, roasted
42:59vegetables, grilled seafood, and artisan
43:02breads. Most of the time it isn't sold
43:04as fine table salt. Instead, it comes in
43:07large crystalline chunks designed for a
43:09grinder. Crushing the salt moments
43:12before serving releases its freshest
43:14flavor while creating satisfying bursts
43:16of crunch on every bite. But perhaps the
43:19most astonishing part isn't the taste,
43:22it's the scale. The nearby salt [music]
43:24flats contain an estimated 10 billion
43:26tons of salt. To put that into
43:28perspective, only around 25,000 tons are
43:31harvested each year. At that rate,
43:33humanity could continue mining for
43:35thousands of years without making a
43:37meaningful dent in the reserve. So
43:39despite its premium price, Bolivian Rose
43:41Salt isn't expensive because it's
43:43running out. It's expensive because
43:45harvesting, transporting, and processing
43:47it from such a remote, high-altitude
43:49location requires [music] extraordinary
43:52effort. Sometimes rarity isn't about
43:54scarcity, it's about the journey. And
43:56after traveling from prehistoric oceans
43:59to the peaks of the Andes, we've reached
44:01the final stop on our salt expedition.
44:04Our last salt isn't famous for color or
44:06rarity, or even ancient minerals. It's
44:09famous for something you can smell
44:11before you ever taste it. The rich aroma
44:13of wood smoke, fire, [music] and
44:15centuries of Nordic tradition. Number
44:1818, Danish Viking smoked salt. Some
44:21salts disappear quietly into a dish.
44:23This one announces its presence before
44:25it ever reaches your mouth. The moment
44:28you open the container, the unmistakable
44:30aroma of hardwood smoke fills the air,
44:32instantly bringing to mind campfires,
44:35smoked meats, and old world kitchens.
44:37This is Danish Viking smoked salt.
44:38[music]
44:39Inspired by the smoking traditions of
44:41Scandinavia, it's one of the few salts
44:44whose flavor is shaped as much by fire
44:46as by the sea. The process begins with
44:49clean sea water, but instead of relying
44:51only on evaporation, producers [music]
44:53slowly heat the water in the large open
44:56pans positioned directly above burning
44:58wood. As the water evaporates, the
45:01forming salt crystals are continuously
45:04surrounded by fragrant smoke from
45:06carefully selected hardwoods such as
45:08juniper, cherry, and oak. The smoke
45:11doesn't simply coat the surface. It
45:13gradually becomes part of every crystal.
45:16The result is a salt with an incredibly
45:18rich aroma that many people compare to
45:20bacon, wood-fired barbecue, or even the
45:23lingering scent of a crackling campfire.
45:25Unlike artificially flavored products,
45:28Danish Viking smoked salt develops its
45:30character naturally through hours of
45:32slow smoking. Every batch is slightly
45:35different depending on the wood, the
45:36weather, and the length of the smoking
45:38process. That unpredictability is part
45:41of its charm. Its bold flavor means a
45:43little goes a very long way. Just a
45:45small pinch can completely transform an
45:47ordinary dish. Chefs often use it to
45:50finish grilled steaks, smoked salmon,
45:53roasted potatoes, [music]
45:54burgers, mushrooms, roasted vegetables,
45:56or even creamy soups. Some adventurous
45:59bartenders even add a few crystals to a
46:02Bloody Mary or whiskey cocktail where
46:04the smoky aroma creates an entirely new
46:07drinking experience. More than anything,
46:09this salt carries a taste of history.
46:12For centuries, both smoking and salting
46:15were essential survival techniques
46:17across northern Europe. Long before
46:19refrigeration existed, these two methods
46:22allowed families to preserve food
46:24through harsh winters. Danish Viking
46:27smoked salt brings those ancient
46:29traditions into the modern kitchen
46:31[music] one crystal at a time. It isn't
46:33just seasoning, it's history you can
46:35taste. From ordinary table salt that
46:38quietly transformed public health to
46:40hand-harvested French crystals worth
46:42their weight in gold, from naturally
46:45blue salt hidden deep beneath the
46:47mountains of Iran to Korean bamboo salt
46:50roasted nine times inside real bamboo.
46:52It's incredible how one simple
46:54ingredient can take so many completely
46:56different forms. [music] Every salt
46:58tells its own story. Some are shaped by
47:00ancient oceans, some by volcanic earth,
47:03some by centuries of craftsmanship
47:05passed from one generation to the next.
47:07And while they all begin with the same
47:09basic mineral, each one brings something
47:12unique to the table, whether it's
47:14extraordinary texture, unforgettable
47:16flavor, breathtaking [music] color, or
47:18remarkable history. The next time you
47:20reach for a pinch of salt, you'll know
47:22there's far more inside those tiny
47:24crystals than meets the eye. If you
47:26enjoyed this deep dive into the
47:28fascinating world of salt, you'll
47:30definitely want to watch our next video
47:32where we break down every cooking oil
47:35explained, from everyday vegetable oils
47:37to the world's rarest gourmet varieties,
47:40revealing which ones are truly worth
47:42using and which ones might surprise you.
47:45Thanks for watching, and we'll see you
47:46in the next one.

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