From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Alaea salt
Unrefined sea salt mixed with a red ʻalaea volcanic clay
Unrefined sea salt mixed with a red ʻalaea volcanic clay
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Alaea salt |
| image | Alaea salt.jpg |
| caption | Alaea salt is an unrefined sea salt that gets its brick red color from a Hawaiian volcanic clay called *alaea*, composed of over 80 minerals and rich in iron oxide |
| alternate_name | Hawaiian red salt |
| type | Sea salt |
| country | United States |
| region | Hawaii |
| creator | |
| main_ingredient | Salt |
| minor_ingredient | Red ʻalaea volcanic clay |
| serving_size | 100 g |
Alaea salt, alternatively referred to as Hawaiian red salt, is an unrefined sea salt that has been mixed with an iron-oxide-rich volcanic clay called alaea, which gives the seasoning its characteristic brick-red color. It is part of Native Hawaiian cuisine and is used in traditional dishes such as kalua pig, poke, and pipikaula (Hawaiian jerky). It was also traditionally used to cleanse, purify, and bless tools, canoes, homes, and temples. Once exported to the Pacific Northwest to cure salmon, it saw a resurgence in popularity late in the 20th century in fusion-style cuisine both on the Islands and beyond.
History
Alaea, a water-soluble colloidal ocherous earth, was used for coloring salt, which in turn was traditionally used by Hawaiians to cleanse, purify, and bless tools, canoes, homes, and temples. Alaea salt is also used in several native Hawaiian dishes, including kalua pig, poke, and pipikaula (Hawaiian jerky). In the 19th century, Hawaiians began producing large amounts of alaea salt using European salt-making techniques and became a leading supplier to fishermen in the Pacific Northwest for curing salmon.
It is claimed by one author that most alaea salt sold in the United States is produced in California, not in Hawaii. True Hawaiian-made alaea salt is expensive and, before the rise of convenient Internet shopping, was difficult to find elsewhere.
Colour
Alaea salt gets its characteristic brick-red color from a volcanic Hawaiian clay called ʻalaea, which contains some 80 minerals and is rich in iron oxide.
References
References
- "Hawaiian Dictionaries".
- Schrambling, Regina. (April 6, 2005). "Salt, that essential flavor". [[Los Angeles Times]].
- (August 15, 2007). "Simply salt, in many variations". [[The Press Democrat]].
- Kurlansky, Mark. (2002). "Salt: A World History". [[Penguin Books]].
- Kurlansky, Mark. pg. 405.
- Bitterman, Mark. (2010). "Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes". [[Ten Speed Press]].
- Weinzweig, Ari. (2003). "Zingerman's guide to good eating: how to choose the best bread, cheeses, olive oil, pasta, chocolate, and much more". [[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]].
- Laudan, Rachel. (1996). "The food of Paradise: exploring Hawaii's culinary heritage". [[University of Hawaii Press]].
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Alaea salt — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report