Nihon Chomiryo Tabi
What Yukishio is
- A salt from Miyakojima in Okinawa that runs as loose as powder snow between your fingers.
- The raw material is underground seawater. Miyakojima has almost no rivers, and the Ryukyu limestone built up from coral works as a natural filter.
- Because the seawater drawn up has had its impurities filtered out, the taste is clear.
- The flash-evaporation method, spraying the brine onto a heated metal plate, is what gives it that powdery texture.
Say salt and many people picture large crystals. But on Miyakojima in Okinawa there is a salt that runs between your fingers as loose as powder snow. It is called Yukishio (雪塩).
The secret of that look and that texture lies in the shape of Miyakojima itself, and in one method of the maker's own.
Clear underground seawater, filtered by Ryukyu limestone
Miyakojima has almost no rivers. What it has instead is layers of "Ryukyu limestone" spreading beneath the island, built up over ages from coral.
The underground seawater that becomes Yukishio is water that has worked its way slowly through that natural filter of Ryukyu limestone. Its impurities are filtered out, and it comes up remarkably clear. The clean taste of Yukishio begins here, with what the land gives.
Flash evaporation, sprayed onto a heated metal plate
What most distinguishes Yukishio is that method of its own. The underground seawater is drawn up and concentrated, then sprayed onto a heated metal plate so that the water alone evaporates in an instant.
In the usual way of making salt, crystallization takes time, and much of the nigari component is removed in the course of it. But in the speed of flash evaporation, even that nigari is locked whole into the crystals. The result is a salt rich enough in nutrients that it once held recognition from Guinness World Records for the number of different minerals it contains.
Why the crystals come out like powder snow
Because the water is driven off and the salt crystallizes in an instant, the grains of Yukishio are far finer than those of other salts, closer to a powder. Take some in your hand and it feels like scooping up powder snow.
That fineness is also why it has no edge of saltiness and works so well as a sprinkling salt, settling lightly onto whatever it lands on. You could call it the sea around Miyakojima turned directly into crystals.
Ways to enjoy it
- Alongside tempura: the classic use, where its powdery quickness to dissolve does its work
- On rice balls: with no edge to the saltiness, the sweetness of the rice comes straight through
- Seasoning meat and fish: as a sprinkling salt, it reaches evenly across the surface
- A hidden note in sweets: worth trying in the manner of salted chinsuko, to lift the sweetness
A salt with no equal, born where the shape of Miyakojima and this method meet. Start with a pinch, on a rice ball.
Frequently asked questions
What is Yukishio?
It is a salt made on Miyakojima in Okinawa Prefecture, with fine, powdery crystals. Underground seawater that has been filtered through layers of Ryukyu limestone is drawn up and then sprayed onto a heated metal plate, where it evaporates in an instant - a method particular to this maker.
Why does Yukishio carry so many minerals?
Ordinary salt making removes most of the nigari components, but the flash evaporation used for Yukishio locks those components into the crystals as well. That is why it once held recognition from Guinness for the number of different minerals it contains.
What is Yukishio good for?
Being powdery and quick to dissolve, it suits use as a sprinkling salt: alongside tempura, on rice balls, or to season meat and fish. There is also the pleasure of using it as a hidden note in sweets, in the manner of salted chinsuko.
