Eggs, pasta water, a juicy steak, this fall's kimchi. Josu is 72% sodium chloride - the rest is naturally occurring minerals - with 2.5× the magnesium of French sea salt. Sun-dried and hand-harvested by our family on Imjado Island.
8oz resealable bag · ships with Prime
Cheonilyeom (천일염) translates literally to "sky-day-salt" - Korea's traditional method of sun-drying seawater into salt. Seawater from the Yellow Sea moves slowly through evaporation ponds onto black ceramic drying beds, concentrates under the sun, and is swept up by hand.
Because nothing is refined out, the salt keeps its natural mineral profile. That's what gives it a clean finish and lets a little go a long way - on a fried egg, in pasta water, or as the salt that makes kimchi work.
The mineral profile is what Korean fermentation was built on. This is the salt our grandmothers used for kimchi - and the reason it works.
No additives means no cloudy brine and no off flavors. Cucumbers, radish, perilla - an unrefined salt does the preserving.
Boiling pasta water, seasoning soup, a pinch over eggs just before serving. Keep it next to the stove - it's the cooking salt.
The larger grain holds up to heat. Salt a steak or galbi before it hits the grill, and finish the edges just before plating.
No industrial refinement, no additives. Five steps from seawater to bag: harvested at high tide, sun-dried over black tiles, aged before packing.
In 1949, our founder, Kim Gi Suk, turned 300 acres of Imjado Island into salt ponds - half for his family, half for the community that still farms them today. His family works the same flats now.
The fourth generation runs Josu from the United States. The salt that reaches your kitchen is the same salt the family has cooked with since the first harvest.
A few notes from Josu customers over the years. Current reviews live on our Amazon listing.
"Don't let the label fool you. "Just Salt" - as if! The flavor, the texture, everything about it is simply better. This is my breakup letter to grocery store sea salt."
"I have started carrying a little vial of this for use in restaurants. The salt makes the meal!"
"You can literally put this on anything!"
"I love the Josu salts and keep them right next to my stove for daily use."
"I find myself reaching for this so often, it's a great staple to have in your pantry."
"This has become my go to. It's great on salads, sandwiches, avo toast and cucumber salads."
The 8oz resealable bag, shipped with Prime. Buying through our link supports the family farm directly.
Buy the 8oz Bag on AmazonA bigger bag is coming. Join the list and we'll tell you when it lands, plus the occasional note from the salt farm.