rox formerly rmg There are a lot of different types of sea salt. Each geographic location that produces it sort of has its own flavor. Like how wine or coffee grown in different areas can have unique flavors--the French have a phrase for it, I don't remember the phrase, but it means something like "flavor of the ground"; the sea apparently is the same.
Also depends upon the other minerals (besides sodium cloride) that are in the salt, and how it was made. Solar evapirated sea salt will be different than heat dried sea salt.
It should taste salty, but might have other taste complexities due to the other minerials. I wonder if you got some smoked salt? This is salt that is dried over a smokey fire, and the wood smoke mixes with the salt to add lots of flavor. Just as meat cured over a smoke fire would have a different flavor than meat cured wet.
As for how fast it melts (correct term is dissolve; it doesn't warm up and melt like ice) in your mouth, I think it depends upon the grain size. I have some Malton sea salt that is absolutely heavenly, huge flat flakes that really adhere to food, but it doesn't dissolve very quickly. Tildon sea salt, by the same company, but a different source, is finer grained and it dissolves away so fast you wonder if you imagined it.
