Black Lava Salt Uses: A Finishing Salt for Color and Crunch

Despite the name, the black lava salts we checked aren’t lava at all. They’re sea salt colored with activated charcoal,¹² and that charcoal comes with a caveat from New York City’s health department, covered below. You buy it for the color and crunch, not a different taste, so nearly every good use comes down to one move: scatter it over a pale food right before serving. It’s also not Indian black salt (kala namak), which tastes of sulfur.

Quick guide

What it tastes like

Mostly salt. The black Hawaiian-style salt in the Swiss analysis was 36.7% sodium, a little under the roughly 40% of most sea salts.¹⁵ The Meadow, which sells a Cyprus version, describes a distinctly earthy taste of carbon from the charcoal.² That’s a merchant talking; we found no sensory test.

You’ll often read that black lava salt tastes smoky. None of the sources we read says so. If you want smoke, use smoked sea salt.

1. As a finishing salt

This is what it’s for. The Meadow notes that its large crystals give a toothsome crunch and resist dissolving even on very moist foods, and suggests it on pasta, baked potatoes, Cobb salad, chèvre, caprese salad and grilled asparagus.² Saveur suggested the Cyprus black salt on flaky white fish for a dramatic effect.³

The paler the food, the bigger the contrast. A few more good spots for it: fried or roasted potatoes, cauliflower, scrambled or deviled eggs, halibut or cod, tuna crudo, avocado toast, fresh mozzarella, and blini with crème fraîche. Add it at the last second so the crystals stay black and crisp.

2. On a cocktail rim

A black rim looks striking on a margarita, a salty dog or a Bloody Mary. Run a lime wedge around the rim and dip it in the salt. It’s no saltier than any other rimming salt. You’re using this one for the color.

3. On pretzels and bagels

Black lava salt can stand in for white pretzel salt on soft pretzels or salt bagels, mostly for the look. We found no source that tests how the color holds up in the oven, so if it matters to you, try it on one pretzel first.

4. On salsa and other dark-flecked dishes

You’ll see it suggested as a shortcut for fire-roasting a salsa. The charcoal can give you dark flecks, but the only flavor any source credits to it is the earthy carbon The Meadow describes,² not the charred, roasted flavor of blistered tomatoes and chiles. For that, roast the vegetables, or try smoked salt or smoked paprika.

5. In soups and sauces (not recommended)

Stir it into a soup or sauce and the black crystals, the whole reason you bought it, disappear. America’s Test Kitchen found that sea salt tastes no different from table salt once it’s mixed into food.⁴ Black lava salt in a soup or sauce costs more and can turn pale liquids a little gray. In a dark tomato or bean soup the color won’t show, but a cheaper salt does the same job.

6. In dry rubs (no advantage)

You’ll read that black lava salt’s coarse texture helps a rub seal juices inside meat. We found no source for that. Mixed into food, America’s Test Kitchen found sea salt tastes no different from table salt,⁴ and nothing we read suggests charcoal-colored salt acts any differently in a rub. Use ordinary salt in the rub and save the black salt for sprinkling over the sliced meat at the table.

7. On sweets

Flaky black salt over caramel, chocolate bark or pale vanilla ice cream gives you the same salt-and-crunch hit as white flakes, with more contrast.

Safety and sodium

Activated charcoal. New York City’s health department tells food businesses that activated charcoal is only approved to filter food and isn’t approved as a food colorant or food additive. It adds that activated charcoal may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, and may reduce how well you absorb certain nutrients or medication.⁶ That guidance gives no amount, and we found no measurement of how much charcoal is in a serving of black lava salt. If you take medication and you’re concerned, ask a pharmacist. Restaurants in New York City should read the department’s guidance before using it.

Sodium. Black lava salt isn’t a lower-sodium salt in any meaningful way. The one sample tested was 36.7% sodium.¹ The World Health Organization recommends adults keep sodium below 2,000 mg a day.⁷ As a finishing salt you use it by the pinch, but those pinches count.

What isn’t known

• How much activated charcoal a serving of black lava salt contains.
• Whether the color survives baking on pretzels or bread.
• Any sensory test comparing black lava salt with other finishing salts.

Related

• Black lava salt, the full profile
• Black salt (kala namak) and black salt substitutes
• Hawaiian sea salt and alaea salt
• Smoked sea salt uses, Maldon sea salt and cooking with sea salt
• Charcoal seasoning