Difference between Himalayan Salt and Sea Salt

Himalayan salt and sea salt both are finishing salts,commonly used to add flavor to dishes and to make them more appealing or attractive. Both are believed to be healthier than regular table salt. Let us see how they differ from each other!

Himalayan Salt:

The Himalayan salt is obtained from the rock crystals of salt present in the mountain range of Himalaya, close to Pakistan. It is hand-mined in the Himalaya Mountains. It is more than 200 million years old and is rich in Iodine and minerals.

The iron oxide and trace minerals present in the Himalayan salt give it its characteristic pink colour. There are 84 minerals in the Himalayan salt in an ionic form. These minerals are believed to be incorporated to the salt from the fossils of marine flora and fauna that once lived in ancient oceans thousands of years ago.

The crystals of Himalayan salt are very dry so it quickly absorbs moisture from the food and melts easily and thus it should be used for dishes where you want it to melt away such as delicate salads and for seasoning steaks.

Sea Salt:

Sea salt is obtained from the existing salt water bodies such as oceans, seas and salt water lakes. It is generally white in colour like table salt but has a coarse texture. It is produced through evaporation of salt water and may involve little processing. Generally, the salt evaporation pans (ponds) are used in the extraction of sea salt. These pans look like ponds and are shallow but large in area in order to increase the rate of evaporation of salt water.

As it does not melt easily it is used to add a crunchy texture to dishes, i.e. it is used for dishes that need a crunchy texture such as eggs, pasta, desserts etc. The colour of sea salt may vary from gray to pink or black to greenish depending on the region of its origin.

Accordingly, the sea salt can be of different types such as gray sea salt, Fleur de Sel, red and pink sea salt from Hawaii etc. These types are rare and usually expensive than White Sea salt. Its main ingredient is sodium chloride and the rest of the minerals may vary depending on their origin or source of extraction.

Based on the above information, some of the key differences between Himalayan and sea salt are as follows:

Himalayan Salt	Sea Salt
The Himalayan salt is obtained from the rock crystals of salt present in the himalayan mountain range close to Pakistan.	It is obtained from the existing bodies of salt water such as oceans, seas and salt water lakes.
It is generally pink or red in colour due to the presence of oxides.	Its colour varies greatly such as white, grey, pink, black or greenish.
The Himalayan salt crystals are generally very dry.	The sea salt crystals are generally moist.
It generally absorbs moisture from food as it is dry.	It does not absorb moisture as quickly as Himalayan salt and tends to last longer.
It tends to melt easily after absorbing the moisture.	It does not melt as quickly as Himalayan salt as it does not absorb moisture easily.
It hydrates our body.	It may dehydrate our body.
It does not require digestion so it is immediately available for use in our body as you consume it.	It is difficult to digest and assimilate for our body.
It does not need to be extracted from salt water.	It needs to be extracted from salt water.