Sea salt

Sea salt is obtained from sea water in salt marshes or by other methods of salt.

In the sea salt and small amounts or traces of other materials are included in addition to sodium chloride, inter alia, salts of potassium, magnesium and manganese. Even rock salt is nothing but sea salt, which was created millions of years ago due to drying of large oceans.

Formation and extraction

The salinity in seawater at about 3.5 percent, according to 1000 grams 976 ml sea water thus contained 35 grams of salt. The Baltic Sea contains an average of 1.2 percent, 3.0 percent, the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea 3.8 percent and the Dead Sea 28 percent salts. The salt is dissociated in water, so split into ions. The sea salts have the origin in the weathering of rocks. In addition, rain water, the anions and cations enter the groundwater in the river and eventually into the sea. Depending on the solubility sit down on evaporation of the water the various salts as sediment layers on the ocean floor.

In France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Africa, traditionally in China, sea water is directed along the coasts in artificial shallow pools or shallow lakes, the salt marshes. Due to the evaporation of water under the influence of a warming sun and moisture absorbent wind, the salt concentration of the remaining liquid increases ( brine ). After sufficient concentration, the water is directed into other basins in which crystallized after further evaporation of salt at the bottom of the pool. These basins often show an intense red to purple coloration by salt-loving, halophilic bacteria. By removing the residual water or dry traps to salt layers that are mechanically or manually from the salt farmers 'harvested' by Scrape up and stored in piles form. Sea salt makes estimated 30 percent of the world production of salt, the rest is rock salt.

Evaluation as a food

Flower of salt

The Fleur de Sel ( flower of salt German, Spanish Flor de Sal) is the most expensive sea salt, it arises only hot and windless days as very thin layer on the water surface and is skimmed off by hand with a wooden scoop. It is obtained in the Algarve, in Brittany ( Guerande, Ile de Ré and Noirmoutier ) and the Camargue. Under the name "Flor de Sal d'es Trenc " the flower of salt in Ses Salines obtained in Mallorca comes on the market. In Slovenia Piran in the Secovlje salt pans, the "Fleur de Sel Piranske " is obtained. This product is always unwashed in the trade.

Salt flower consists on average of about 97% sodium chloride, 0.5 % of calcium sulphate, 0.3% magnesium chloride, 0.2% magnesium sulfate ( " Epsom salts " ), and about 0.1 % of potassium chloride, the remainder being residual water.

Grey salt

Below the Salt Flower gray salt (sel gris ) is skimmed off. Add the salt crystals suspended solids are trapped from the alga Dunaliella salina and sediment. This entered in the salt marshes during the maturation of the underground pool chemicals give this sea salt a gray color. The algae and the Tonschwebstoffe result in a higher proportion of silicates. Sel gris has a high residual moisture and must be crushed in a rust-resistant salt mill or in a mortar.

Sea salt as table salt

As table salt especially Washed Sea Salt goes on sale, which is obtained by recrystallization. Only from small salt pans also comes unwashed sea salt in the sale. Sea salt, which is obtained by direct evaporation of sea water, makes up the smallest proportion of the products offered.

" When consumers gives the name, sea salt ' erroneously the idea that this salt in its mineral composition corresponds to the usual in seawater concentration ratios. Due to the manufacturing process and made ​​necessary by the increased purity requirements cleaning method but this is almost never the case. Nor would such a salt mixture, due to have a considerably higher sulfate and magnesium content, a slightly bitter taste. "

Sea salt is preferred by some chefs because of an allegedly superior taste or the particular structure of the crystals. Nutritionally is a preference for sea salt but not to justify, because it is like other edible salt from 95 to 98 per cent of sodium chloride and contains only small amounts of minerals, but up to 5 percent water as residual moisture. Contrary to some advertising is hardly iodine or iodide. In contrast, the content of minerals and trace elements depending on the product varies but usually so low that at a salt intake of two to three grams per day (about half a teaspoon ), no significant contribution can be made to satisfy those requirements. This also applies to iodine, if it is not specifically added.

Aerosols

Sea salt can be sprayed on the surface of the sea with the water by wind and waves, these are aerosols. In seaside resorts aerosols are used for medicinal purposes. After inhaling the salt air brings relief from various ailments such as asthma. External use is sea salt in sea water baths.