Paʻakai

Paʻakai is the Hawaiian word for sea salt, literally “solidified sea.” Harvested for centuries by letting ocean water evaporate in coral hollows and shallow clay ponds, it was always more than a seasoning. It was a sacred substance used to bless, purify, and heal. There are many types, but perhaps the most famous form is ʻalaea salt,’ white sea salt blended with iron-rich red volcanic clay that stains it brick-red. There are also striking black versions that take their color from activated charcoal. Paʻakai is ubiquitous in Hawaiian cooking, seasoning everything from kalua pig to poke to pipikaula.