First, some background material on the only rock we eat. This mineral, comprised of mainly of sodium chloride, helps regulate the body's metabolism. Not only does salt sustain us, it brings to life to the food we eat. It is a basic component of taste, along with sweet, sour & bitter. Throughout much of history, its value as a culinary staple was so high that it was used as a form of payment. The word "salt" comes from the Latin word salarium, meaning salary. In some areas of the world, salt was minted into coins as valuable as gold. The Greeks traded it for slaves, giving rise to the phrase "not worth his salt”. Venice was built on revenue from the salt trade. Salt also holds religious significance. Jesus referred to his followers as "the salt of the earth,”

Salt doesn't just add a jolt the way many spices do, it penetrates the other ingredients, draws out juices & absorbs the water in food. It enhances the flavor of the food. While it is fair to say that all salts taste "salty," that may be the only thing the different types have in common. The differences in taste are significant – comparing salts are similar to a wine tasting. At its purest, salt is 40 % sodium and 60 % chloride, but depending on its origin & processing, it can vary notably in taste & texture.

Shaker (or table) salt is often considered harsh because of additives. The additives in table salt are needed to absorb moisture & keep the salt flowing. It does not have the crunch or flakey texture that sea salts deliver. Flavor is comprised of taste, smell & texture. The difference in taste between sea salt & table salt is a matter of texture & time. Unlike table salt, which is refined and stripped of all minerals & essential nutrients, sea salt retains many of the ocean's trace elements, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron & iodine. Using a sea salt in a soup or pasta water, is senseless, if the salt is going to dissolve in a batter or liquid, its unique crystal structure disappears. Fine sea salts should be used to finish a dish.

As with wine, salt, and its price and flavor depend on who harvests it and from what region. Sea salt, for instance, is created when ocean waters flood shallow beds along coastlines, which means that everything that is in the water also winds up in the salt. Although these salts are "raked" all over the world, the pure sel gris and the snowflake-like fleur de sel, gathered from the beautiful waters off the coast of Brittany, are most highly prized. Only about 2 dozen salt farmers still sculpt salt beds by hand. This method ensures a pure flavor.

In Brittany salt farmers have tended to the shallow pools where the seawater concentrates as it moves from clay bed to clay bed until the pre-salt crystals form below the water's surface. The results are briny, large-grained crystals so pure that they need no processing. Salts from other areas must sometimes be heated & washed, which gives them a bright-white appearance. But Brittany sel gris has a light gray color because the ocean's signature minerals and nutrients naturally remain inside. Fleur de sel comes from the same salt beds as sel gris, but is white in color because the crystals never touch the clay but form on the surface of the water. These rare and pricey sea salt are valued for their complex flavor, crunchy texture & subtle aroma. Experts believe they not only tastes better, but they are also healthier.

When traveling it is wonderful to buy locally harvested salt, it is a way one way to experience the essence of a country or region. Recently on a biking trip in the Brittany section of France we purchase the famed local salt – what a great way to take home the flavor of the region – and enjoy it for a long time!

 

The following types are easy to find, (be careful to read labels, look for the salts that are hand-harvested as opposed to machine-processed):

Sel Gris (France) ( gray salt or Celtic gray salt): From Brittany, where it forms on algae clay about six inches below the surface. Crystallized in its purest form, artisan harvesters rake the salt to the edge of each bed in July and August. The salt picks up its gray color and distinctive flavor from the healthy blue-green-hued minerals in the bed's clay bottom.

Fleur de Sel (France): Also from the coast of Brittany, it is the blooms of lacy, opaque snowflakes (or "flowers of salt") that crystallize on the surface of the water. Formed in the same beds as sel gris, fleur de sel is created only when the winds are calm and the days are warm, and tastes like it has just been collected from the clearest sparkling sea. Clean and light, with a wonderful crunch. It easily "melts," so use sparingly on foods just before serving.

Red Alae Sea Salt ( Hawaii): Traditional Hawaiian salt used to season and preserve. A natural mineral called "Alaea" (volcanic baked red clay) is added to enrich the salt with iron oxide. This natural additive is what gives the salt its distinctive pink color. The clay imparts a subtle flavor that is said to be mellower than regular sea salt. It is the traditional and authentic seasoning for native Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua Pig, Poke and Hawaiian Jerky. Also good on prime rib and pork loin.

Black Lava Salt (Hawaii): A blend of sea salt, purified black lava and activated charcoal. It has a sulfuric aroma from the purified lava. Both lava salt and red alae salt are specialty finishing salts.

Maldon (England): From the salt beds in Maldon, Essex, England. A good finishing salt, its delicate flavor is from the tradition of boiling the sea water to form hollow pyramid-shaped crystals that are soft. It contains no additives, looks like tiny pieces of shaved ice and has a fresh, briny taste.

Ravida, (Italy): From Sicily's west coast, these fine, moist crystals, which dissolve immediately, are extremely powerful, almost stinging on the tongue. Even a small sprinkle feels like swallowing a gallon of seawater.

 

We have raked through many salt resources for you

Il Buco - Their salt is harvested from "La Salinella Settebocche" (The Little Salina of 7 Mouths), one of the oldest salt pans in Trapani (Italy), an area chosen by the Phoenicians centuries before Christ because of its favorable conditions for salt production on the Mediterranean coast. This 100% natural product is created by sea, wind and sun alone. We have had the pleasure of tasting this incredible salt – what a difference it makes in the taste of your finished dish.

SaltWorks - They offer the largest selection of sea salts from around the world--a terrific resource! Fleur De Sel, Smoked Salt, Murray River Pink, Alaea Hawaiian, Jurassic Salt, Sel Gris, Maldon, Himalayan Pink, Bolivian Rose, Kala Namak, Mill Salt, Peruvian Pink, Cyprus Flake, Bali Salt, Organic Grey Salt, and French Salts.

Salt Traders - Purveyor of hand-harvested natural salt. Large collection of natural, specialty, rare, artisan, smoked and gourmet sea salts from around the world.

Artisan Salt Company - They offer distinctive and rare gourmet sea salts. Artisan sea salts are certified authentic and among the very best gourmet salts in the world. Experience more than 30 varieties of hand-harvested salts and their wide range of textures, flavor and color.

Soul of the Sea - Whole sea salts from Molokai, Hawaiian black, red, white gourmet sea salts.