Black salt from Iceland

Black Icelandic salt from Nordur Salt in a folding carton

Black salt from Iceland by Nordur Salt is a sea salt in crispy flakes, dyed deep black with activated charcoal from coconut. In taste, it is exactly the same as Nordur Salt's white sea salt; its black color is for the eyes.

Black salt from Iceland is the Lava Sea Salt from Nordur Salt, sourced from the Breiðafjörður, a wide bay in western Iceland. Its color is modeled on the black of lava, as a tribute to the island's volcanoes, and adds a striking touch to light-colored dishes.

Flakes that taste of the sea

When crushed between the fingers, the flakes crackle softly before trickling onto the food like fine black snow. Under the name "black salt," you can find two very different salts on the market. One is Indian Kala Namak, a rock salt whose sulfurous aroma is prized in vegan cuisine. The other is a sea salt like this one, which only gets its color from activated charcoal.

Small salt pyramids from Arctic seawater

Nordur Salt's Lava Sea Salt begins as Arctic seawater from a bay full of shallows, small fjords, and reefs, which is filtered and boiled at 51 degrees under low pressure. Afterward, the brine is allowed to warm slowly a second time in open pans. On the surface, small pyramids of crystals grow upside down until they become too heavy and sink to the bottom.

The salt makers harvest them from the pans by hand so that the taste and texture are exactly right. The pyramids turn into paper-thin flakes, which are then colored to create the Lava Sea Salt. The black salt thus comes from the same pans as the company's white sea salt.

Black salt on salmon, mashed potatoes, and grilled dishes

On cured salmon, mashed potatoes with brown butter, or a piece of goat cheese with honey, the crystals provide both saltiness and contrast. Grilled meat with a golden-brown crust and a cob of corn with butter gain a little bite with a pinch.

In summer, the black salt goes well on watermelon with feta and mint. Dip the moistened rim of a margarita glass into it, and guests will spot it from afar. Otherwise, sprinkle it over the finished dish just before serving, as the salt will dissolve in soup, sauce, or boiling water, and the color will blur.

As a gift or for refilling the tin

The glue-free folded box earned Nordur Salt the Red Dot Award in 2014, one of the best-known design awards. The mermaid on it holds a small salt pyramid in each hand, the same shape that grows in the pans. If you open the front, you can reach directly into the salt. Brought along for dinner with friends, the box can go straight onto the table, and everyone can take their own pinch.

If you already have the metal tin with the lava salt, you can refill it from the box, as both contain the same salt. Keep the box in a dry place after opening, and the salt will remain crispy down to the very last pinch. The white sea salt flakes from Iceland come in a turquoise-blue box of the same design. You can find more salts from the company at Nordur Salt, and even more varieties in our salt flakes category.