Celtic sea salt has taken off in popularity due to some health trends on social media. Unlike regular table salt, Celtic sea salt is not highly refined, so it retains some of the natural essential minerals found in seawater, and it tastes great.
But, we're wondering why all the fuss about a salt that is produced way over in the busy Atlantic, when there is an Australian salt that is much better than Celtic sea salt?
Compared with Celtic sea salt flakes, our very own Tasman sea salt is:
- harvested from much cleaner, pristine waters off Tasmania
- lower in sodium than Celtic sea salt
- contains the same beneficial sea minerals and nutrients
- more flavourful
- naturally pure white flakes, not grey
- evaporated with clean energy
- a better choice for the environment.
Here we delve more deeply into how the two sea salts compare, and introduce you to the family business that produces Tasman Sea Salt.
Firstly, what is Celtic Sea Salt?
Celtic sea salt is a type of natural salt that is harvested from the Atlantic Ocean near the coasts of France and Spain. It is also known as sel gris or grey salt because of its colour, which comes from the minerals and clay ponds used for distillation.
Celtic sea salt is different from regular table salt because it is not refined or processed, and thus retains more natural trace elements such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium. But, as we explain below, be wary of any advice given out on social media about the health benefits.
Celtic sea salt also has a good flavour that can enhance the taste of food. It is often used as a finishing salt, adding a crunchy and salty touch to dishes.
Nutritional Facts About Sea Salt
When minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium are consumed from various dietary sources, they have health benefits, such as supporting hydration, digestion, and nutrient absorption. They help regulate blood pressure, support bone health, prevent muscle cramps and promote hydration, and help pH levels of the body and your immune system.
But, it is important to understand that because a claim mentions the presence of a nutrient that does not mean it provides enough to have an effect. Any product claiming to have nutritional benefits must give the details in the Nutritional Information table on the packaging, declaring the per-serving amounts of energy, fat, carbohydrates, sodium, protein, vitamin D, potassium, iron, and calcium.
Whether Celtic, Tasman or any other natural sea salt, the primary substance is still sodium chloride. Yes, there are small amounts of the minerals found in seawater, but what remains is generally insufficient to be declared on the label, meaning that a standard serving is unlikely to contain sufficient amounts alone to act on the body.
That said, we still far prefer a healthier natural local sea salt to refined table salt that is generally mined from underground and highly processed to remove impurities, then fortified with iodine.
Why Australian Tasman Sea Salt is better than Celtic Sea Salt!
Tasman pure white sea salt flakes are a locally produced, sustainable alternative to Celtic sea salt. It's the perfect addition to your pantry, and can be used the same way you would Celtic sea salt.
Like Celtic, Tasman sea salt contains less sodium and more nutrients than processed table salt.
But, by buying locally, you are helping to create jobs, reduce emissions, and foster innovation. Supporting an Australian salt producer is not only good for the economy, but also for the environment and the community.
Meet Chris & Alice, the makers of Tasman Sea Salt
During a trip home to visit family in Tasmania, Chris and Alice questioned why they weren’t able to buy a local sea salt when the environment and pristine natural resources of Tasmania seemed ideal for salt production. This planted the seed of an idea and in 2013 they decided to take the leap, and moved back to Chris’ home-state to set up their business harvesting sea salt.
Chris and Alice believe that purity is what makes their salt so special – both in terms of provenance and flavour profile. They live on the east coast of Tasmania with their three daughters and their dog.
Tasman Sea Salt is cleaner than Celtic sea salt
Tasman Sea Salt is situated on the border of the Southern Ocean, which means that the salt is harvested from the cleanest ocean in the world. They are far away from any pollutants or contaminants and, as a result, unlike most other sea salts, they do not need to clean or rinse the salt at all during production. Unlike Celtic sea salt, Tasman Sea Salt are left with a pure white sea salt flake after harvesting and this is all down to the purity of the water that they harvest the salt from.
Tasman Sea Salt naturally high in minerals
Tasman Sea Salt is a 100% unrefined, unprocessed sea salt – all they do is evaporate fresh water from sea water using an innovative clean energy harvesting process. Nothing is added and nothing removed, which means all the sea minerals and nutrients from the pristine Tasmanian sea remain in the salt.
Tasman Sea Salt is naturally high in sea minerals and nutrients, which make up 10% of the salt – only 90% of Tasman Sea Salt is sodium chloride.
Tasman Sea Salt contains trace minerals that are essential for human life including potassium, magnesium, calcium and iodine, to name a few. These minerals are also electrolytes when dissolved in water.
In addition to sodium, the nutritional label on Tasman sea salt lists Potassium (containing higher levels of potassium than many other salts on the market).
Tasman Sea Salt is lower in sodium than Celtic sea salt
Because of the high level of other trace minerals in the salt, Tasman Sea Salt contains less sodium than most other salts on the market – including Celtic sea salt, which is typically around 34% sodium. Tasman Sea Salt is only 32% sodium.
Tasman Sea Salt is more sustainable than Celtic sea salt
The Tasman Sea Salt team have developed an innovative clean energy harvesting process that is the only one of its kind in the world, using evaporative cooling to evaporate fresh water from sea water. This means they use less energy and have less of an impact on the environment that other salt harvesting processes. Creating an environmentally sustainable business is one of their core values and, as such, they always recommend using a local salt and saving those food miles.
Buy Tasman Sea Salt Australia.
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