Sea salt, obtained by evaporating seawater, is used in cooking and cosmetics. Historically called bay salt , its mineral content gives it a different taste from table salt, which is pure sodium chloride, usually refined from mined rock salt (halite) or from sea salt. Areas that produce specialized sea salt include the Cayman Islands; Greece; France; Ireland; Colombia; Sicily; Apulia in Italy; and Hawaii , Maine, Utah, the San Francisco Bay, and Cape Cod in the United States. Generally more expensive than table salt, it is commonly used in gourmet cooking and premium potato chips.