The black sea salt is one that I found puzzling. Why was the salt black? I knew that some of the beaches in Hawai’i were black from lava but how could the salt be black? Well, it’s because they add charcoal as an additive. Ahhh….. Why add charcoal, you ask? Good question, La Diva wants to know the answer as well.
I went to their website and it only said this:

According to the package, Some of the salt comes from Molokai (Hawaiian Sea Salt) while the company blends other salt (Natural Pacific Sea Salt) along with their “mineral-rich Ocean Essence” TM which includes ocean electrolytes, trace minerals and elements. Yeah, whatever, but DOES IT TASTE GOOD?
Originally posted 2009-05-12 22:10:00.
I’ve got some of this from Trader Joe’s some time back and I’ve been using it the same way you have–as a pretty finishing salt. I think there’s such a thing as natural black salt from Hawaii (or maybe I’ve fallen for the marketing nonsense), but I don’t think what we’ve got is it. I use it as a visually interesting finishing salt, same as you. I don’t think it’s good for much else.
I didn’t know you were a saltologist!
I’ve been rocking some smoked salt that Virginia Willis suggested in her latest cookbook. It’s pretty nice especially adding flavor that I might have used bacon for before.
hmmmm…interesting. I’m going to check out that smoky stuff!