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Celtic vs Himalayan vs South African vs sea salt: what's the difference?
Every salt here is mostly sodium chloride. What changes is where it comes from, how it's harvested, and how it looks, feels and tastes in your cooking. Celtic salt is a type of sea salt, but it's made differently: it's hand-raked from clay-lined marsh ponds and left unwashed, while regular sea salt is usually washed and dried, so each gets its own column. Here's how they compare.
| Celtic salt | Himalayan salt | South African salt | Regular sea salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it's from | Coastal salt marshes, traditionally in Brittany, France | Ancient rock salt deposits in the Khewra mine, Pakistan | Inland salt pans in the Kalahari, Northern Cape, and coastal salt pans on the West Coast, both fed by underground water | Seawater from coastlines around the world |
| How it's made | Sun and wind evaporate seawater in clay-lined ponds, then it's hand-raked | Mined, crushed and sieved, with no refining | Brine is pumped to the surface, sun-dried on the pan and harvested, with no refining | Seawater is evaporated by sun or heat; processing varies by brand |
| Colour | Light grey | Pale pink to deep rose, from iron oxide | Crystal white | White to off-white |
| Texture | Slightly damp, coarse or fine | Dry, hard crystals, coarse or fine | Dry crystals, coarse or fine | Fine, coarse or flaked |
| Flavour | Briny and mineral | Mild and clean | Gentle and clean | Clean; varies with where it's harvested |
| Trace minerals | Small amounts of magnesium, calcium and potassium | Small amounts of iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium | Some, picked up as the underground water flows through ancient rock | Some, depending on source and processing |
| Iodine | Not iodised | Not iodised | Unrefined desert salt isn't; standard table salt usually is | Check the label; some are iodised |
| In Ayurveda | Sea salt (samudra) is seen as heavier and more heating | The preferred salt (saindhava, or rock salt) | Not part of traditional Ayurveda | Sea salt (samudra) is seen as heavier and more heating |
| Best for | Finishing dishes, roast veg, soups and brines. Use coarse Celtic salt in a ceramic grinder or by the pinch, as the moisture can clog metal grinders | Grinders, everyday seasoning and table use | Grinders, everyday cooking and table use, when you want an unrefined local salt | Everyday cooking and baking (fine), or finishing (flakes) |
Good to know: gram for gram, these salts contain a similar amount of sodium. Celtic salt holds more moisture, so it can taste slightly less salty per spoonful. The trace minerals are present in very small amounts, so choose on taste, texture and how you like to cook.
Salt FAQs
Which salt is used in Ayurveda?
Rock salt, known as saindhava lavana. Today this usually means Himalayan pink salt. The Charaka Samhita, one of the core Ayurvedic texts, names saindhava as the best of all salts. It's described as cooling and gentle on digestion, which is why it's the salt of choice in Ayurvedic cooking.
How can I tell if pink salt has been dyed?
Start with the ingredients list. Real Himalayan salt has one ingredient: Himalayan rock salt, or simply salt. If you see a colourant, "colour", E172 (iron oxide) or beetroot listed, the colour has been added. Iron oxide colours Himalayan salt naturally, so it should never appear as an added ingredient. The country of origin should be Pakistan, where the salt is mined.
You can also check at home. Real pink salt varies in colour, with white, pale pink and deeper rose crystals mixed together. Dissolve a teaspoon in a clear glass of water: real pink salt leaves the water fairly clear, sometimes with a little sediment. If the water turns pink, the salt has been coloured.
Is pink curing salt the same as Himalayan salt?
No. Pink curing salt (also sold as Prague powder or Instacure) is dyed pink on purpose so it isn't mistaken for table salt. It contains sodium nitrite for curing meat and shouldn't be used as everyday seasoning. If a pink salt doesn't say Himalayan, check the label before you cook with it.
Is Celtic salt the same as sea salt?
Celtic salt is a type of sea salt, so all Celtic salt is sea salt, but not all sea salt is Celtic. Celtic salt is hand-raked from clay-lined marsh ponds, traditionally in Brittany, France, and left unwashed, which keeps it grey and slightly damp. Most regular sea salt is washed and dried, so it's white and free-flowing.
Is Celtic salt better than Himalayan salt?
Neither is better overall. Celtic salt is a damp, grey sea salt with a briny flavour, and Himalayan salt is a dry, pink rock salt with a milder taste. Both are mostly sodium chloride and contain only trace amounts of other minerals, so the choice comes down to flavour, texture and how you cook. Himalayan salt also works better in a standard grinder.
Why is my Celtic salt damp or clumping?
Celtic salt is naturally moist because it's left unwashed and isn't dried after harvesting, so it keeps some of the seawater it formed in. The damp texture is normal and a sign it hasn't been refined. Store it in an airtight glass or ceramic container, use a ceramic grinder or a pinch pot, and break up any clumps with your fingers.
Where is South African salt from?
South African salt comes from two main places. Inland, in the Kalahari in the Northern Cape, brine from an ancient underground salt lake is pumped onto salt pans and sun-dried, as with Oryx Desert Salt. On the West Coast, around Velddrif, salt is hand-harvested from pans fed by underground seawater, as with Khoisan Sea Salt. Both are unrefined and produced locally.