The typical Filipino kitchen would not be complete without salt. Since time immemorial, Filipinos have been using salt to season and to preserve different types of food. In many places across the country, there is a salt supplier for food businesses and households alike. Indeed, salt is essential to Philippine cuisine… But which type of salt should we use?
There are two major types of salt: table salt and sea salt. Many of us are familiar with table salt, which is usually harvested from salt mines and chemically processed. Sea salt, on the other hand, is derived from seawater that has undergone solar evaporation, which is a natural process.
1. Sea salt is more “natural.”
As mentioned earlier, sea salt is produced through solar evaporation, resulting in salt that is more natural, with less additives. In contrast, chemicals are usually added to table salt to prevent it from caking or clumping.
2. Sea salt contains essential minerals.
When the liquid portion of seawater evaporates, traces of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium remain in the salt. We all know that these minerals are essential for maintaining healthy skin, teeth, and bones.
3. Sea salt comes with health benefits.
Research has shown that sea salt can help boost your immune system and maintain proper pH balance since it has alkalizing properties. When taken with water, it has also been found to help reduce high blood pressure, thus preventing strokes and heart attacks. In addition, sea salt can help improve digestion and prevent constipation.
4. Sea salt has better texture and flavor.
Table salt usually has a fine, powdery texture. Meanwhile, sea salt has a course texture that most professional chefs prefer. Furthermore, sea salt is known to have a stronger and more distinctive flavor, making it the better choice in cooking and food preparation.
5. Sea salt has cosmetic uses.
Outside the kitchen, sea salt has been gaining recognition in the beauty industry. Since sea salt is a natural exfoliant, it is the main ingredient in “bath salts,” which can help in cleansing, exfoliating, and detoxifying your skin. Sea salt also has antiseptic benefits, which can help in cleaning minor wounds and blemishes.
6. Using sea salt can boost the local salt industry.
There are many places in the Philippines where sea salt is produced; the coastal beaches of Mindoro and Pangasinan are some examples. In these places, sea salt is harvested by local salt farmers, then packaged and brought to the market with the help of a salt distributor and retailers. By switching to sea salt, you can help boost the local salt industry, and ultimately help support salt farmers and their families.
Eventually, a thriving local industry would also mean less dependence on imported salt, thus benefiting Filipino salt producers and the Philippine economy in the long run.
7. Using sea salt can help preserve cultural traditions.
Did you know that the Philippines has unique salt-making traditions? One example is Bohol’s compact and rock-shaped “asin tibuok,” which is made by filtering saltwater through ashes and letting it crystallize in a clay pot. Another example is Guimaras’ “tultul,” or salt that is processed with coconut milk for a distinctive flavor.
By supporting the Philippine salt industry, you can also help preserve these salt-making methods, which are an important part of traditional Filipino cuisine.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, not only is sea salt better in terms of texture and flavor; it also contains essential minerals that are good for your health. Moreover, its benefits go beyond the kitchen, as “bath salts” are becoming more popular, too. And finally, switching to sea salt would definitely give the local salt industry a boost, while helping to preserve Filipino salt-making traditions in the process.