Alaea salt facts for kids
Alaea salt is an unrefined sea salt that gets its brick red color from a Hawaiian volcanic clay called ʻalaea, composed of over 80 minerals and rich in iron oxide
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| Alternative names | Hawaiian red salt |
|---|---|
| Type | Sea salt |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Hawaii |
| Main ingredients | Salt |
| Ingredients generally used | Red ʻalaea volcanic clay |
Alaea salt, also known as Hawaiian red salt, is a special kind of sea salt. It gets its unique brick-red color from a volcanic clay called ʻalaea. This clay is rich in iron oxide and has over 80 different minerals.
This salt is an important part of Native Hawaiian cooking. People use it in traditional dishes like kalua pig, poke, and pipikaula (which is like Hawaiian jerky). In the past, Hawaiians also used this salt for special purposes. They would use it to clean, purify, and bless important items. This included tools, canoes, homes, and even temples.
In recent times, Alaea salt has become popular again. It is now used in modern Hawaiian cooking styles, both in Hawaii and in other places.
History of Alaea Salt
The special clay called ʻalaea can dissolve in water. It was traditionally used to color salt. Hawaiians used this colored salt for important ceremonies. They would use it to cleanse and bless tools, canoes, homes, and temples.
Alaea salt is also a key ingredient in many traditional Hawaiian foods. These include dishes like kalua pig, poke, and pipikaula. In the 1800s, Hawaiians started making a lot of alaea salt. They used salt-making methods from Europe. They became a main supplier of salt to fishermen in the Pacific Northwest. These fishermen used the salt to preserve salmon.
Some people say that most alaea salt sold today is made in California, not Hawaii. Real Hawaiian-made alaea salt can be more expensive. Before online shopping became common, it was also harder to find outside of Hawaii.
Why Alaea Salt is Red
Alaea salt gets its special brick-red color from a volcanic Hawaiian clay. This clay is called ʻalaea. The clay contains about 80 different minerals. It is also very rich in iron oxide, which gives it its distinctive red color.
See also
In Spanish: Sal hawaiana para niños
