ASIN TIBUOK - the Philippine salt in a clay 'egg'. | Ingredient | Phillipine Sea Salts

ASIN TIBUOK - the Philippine salt in a clay 'egg'.

$250.00

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Delivery

We ship your pouches frozen via Australia Post - Express - on Mondays-Wednesdays in eco-friendly (paper) insulated packaging.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Coconut Water Kefir and Coconut Milk Kefir?

Coconut Water Kefir is light, sparkling, and refreshing – think probiotic tonic. Coconut Milk Kefir is creamy and tangy, similar in consistency to dairy kefir, perfect for smoothies or enjoying like yoghurt.

Are these products vegan?

Yes, both are 100% plant-based and suitable for vegans and anyone avoiding dairy.

Do they contain the same probiotics as milk kefir?

Both coconut kefirs are fermented using traditional water kefir grains, creating billions of beneficial bacteria. While the specific probiotic strains differ slightly from milk kefiR, both deliver powerful gut health benefits.

How do I use Coconut Milk Kefir?

Use it anywhere you'd use dairy kefir or yoghurt – blended into smoothies, poured over granola or muesli, mixed into overnight oats, or enjoyed straight from the glass. It's also excellent in salad dressings and dips.

What does Coconut Water Kefir taste like?

Lightly tangy with subtle coconut notes and a gentle effervescence. It's refreshing drunk chilled on its own, or use it as a base for probiotic mocktails and smoothies.

Is separation normal?

Yes! Coconut Milk Kefir may separate slightly – this is completely natural. Simply give it a gentle shake before use.

How should I store these products?

Keep refrigerated at all times. Coconut Water Kefir is best consumed within 4 weeks of receipt. Coconut Milk Kefir within 28 days for optimal freshness and probiotic activity.

Are these products suitable for people with nut allergies?

Coconuts are technically classified as drupes, not tree nuts. However, if you have concerns about coconut allergies, please consult your healthcare provider.


Asin Tibuok is truly a rare, artisanal sea salt. Once used for trade, and preservation to keep the salt dry in a wet season. It is also known as #TheDinosaurEGG purely for the way it looks. Minted into the coveted Slow Food Ark of Taste in 2016. (The ‘Ark of Taste’ was created by the global Slow Food movement to recognize the existence of extraordinary heritage offerings, drawing attention to the risk of their extinction within a few generations).

Watch Erwan Heussafs the vlog FEATR about the salt here. 

We are proudly offering this salt after watching and hearing about it for a couple of years - the only way to try it was to bring it in.  It's a pricey little egg - but actually, one that sits with pride in our kitchen amongst the other salts. (Obviously not a minimalist kitchen...) It tastes of mild smoky undertones - some umami, as well as sweeter notes. We have shaved it on desserts, as well as butter and tomatoes and... oily pasta... the list goes on. Using a microplane for shaving, you'll need to chip the clay away to access the salt as you go. Comes in a box, wrapped in tissue paper with a detailed card explaining how special this salt is. 

How's it made? What even is it? 

Coconut husks are soaked in seawater for several months, absorbing the sea's minerals in coral-lined pits constructed among coastal mangroves. Here, seawater fills during high tide, soaking and enriching the coconut husks. Next, the husks are chopped into small pieces and sun-dried for 2-3 days. Once dried, the husks are slowly burnt for several days with local hardwoods of ipil-ipil, mahogany, duhat, or an-an, creating a coconut charcoal combination. The activated charcoal, called gasang, is then used to filter seawater which gets roasted in clay pots until the salt begins to form a solid dome. The fire and heat must be controlled so the clay pots do not break or get too hot. This process takes all day, as both the fire and salt cannot be left alone.
Finally, after an entire evening of cooling, the salt is ready to be handled. 

 

"While the salt is consumed locally in Bohol, it is not currently distributed anywhere else in the Philippines, after the country passed the ASIN Law in 1995, which required the addition of iodine to all salt in order to combat the prevalence of goiter or iodine deficiency. The law’s impact has led many indigenous communities to give up the salt-making process altogether, with all their unique varieties slowly going extinct. Even Asin Tibuok has become increasingly rare, as future generations of the notoriously mysterious family who makes the salt have become reticent to continue the tradition."