Sea Salt Versus Ordinary Table Salt

Papa Rooster and I went to the store the other day and we bought some sea salt that came in it's own little grinder container deal. I like the taste a lot better than table salt. Papa Rooster is still on the fence about it. I thought I'd do a little research to find out exactly what the difference is in the two, and which one is actually better for you.

The findings:

From Wikipedia:

Gourmets often believe sea salt to be better than ordinary table salt in taste and texture, though one cannot always taste the difference when dissolved. In applications where sea salt's coarser texture is retained, it can provide different mouthfeel and changes in flavor due to its different rate of dissolution. The mineral content also affects the taste. It may be difficult to distinguish sea salt from other salts with a high mineral content, such as pink Himalayan salt, or grey colored rock salt.

Because sea salt generally lacks high concentrations of iodine[2], an ion essential for human health [3], it is not necessarily a healthful substitute for regular iodized table salt[4], which is usually supplemented with the element, unless another source of dietary iodine is available. Iodized forms of sea salt are now marketed to address this concern. However, unrefined sea salt contains many important minerals that regular iodized table salt does not contain.

From Saltworks.us:

Sea Salt - Other Names: Sal Del Mar, Sel De Mer, Sale Marino

Sea salt is a broad term that generally refers to unrefined salt derived directly from a living ocean or sea. It is harvested through channeling ocean water into large clay trays and allowing the sun and wind to evaporate it naturally. Manufacturers of sea salt typically do not refine sea salt as much as other kinds of salt, so it still contains traces of other minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and iodine. Proponents of sea salt rave about its bright, pure, clean flavor, and about the subtleties lent to it by these other trace minerals.

Some of the most common sources for sea salt include the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean (particularly in France, on the coast of Brittany). Sea salt is thought to be healthier and more flavorful that traditional table salt. Available in coarse, fine & extra fine grain size.

My conclusion: Buy iodized sea salt if you can find it.