Flor De Sal

Gourmet food lovers may be familiar with the French term, “fleur de sel” which refers to the very top layer of salt harvested on the French coast. Flor de Sal is the Portuguese version. These salts continue to be made using slow artisanal methods because they are considered by chefs and gourmands to be the finest sea salts in the world.

Portuguese Flor de Sal is extremely pure flavored and naturally whiter than French fleur de sel. Its flat, thin, fragile crystals look like fresh snow and dissolve quickly on the surface of food. The crystals’ shape and size makes them easy to use, no salt shaker or salt grinder is required.

What Makes Flor de Sal Special:
Flor de Sal & Fleur de Sel are considered the best salts available because of the purity of their flavor and their naturally light & flakey crystalline structure. These qualities are a result of the salt being hand skimmed daily from the top of the salt pan, so only the freshest and lightest crystals are collected.

Flor de Sal crystals dissolve on food evenly and quickly, and their pure taste accentuates natural flavors without the harsh bitterness found in many heavily processed table salts. These artisanal salt flakes can also be used to top foods where they will not dissolve (for example, on top of fine chocolates) where their fragile texture adds a small satisfying crunch without hurting the teeth.

How Flor de Sal is Made:
This Flor de Sal is hand-harvested using traditional methods older than the Roman Empire by a co-operative operating in a Portuguese nature reserve. Pure sea water is allowed to run naturally (via tidal movements) into a holding pool. It is then collected and moved to small salt pans, where the sun and wind evaporate the water, leaving behind only salt. 

As time passes, salt crystals begin to form a crust on the surface of the water. These are the crystals that make up Flor de Sal. They are hand raked on a daily basis ensuring only the topmost crystals are collected. The salt is then dried in the sun for five days (next to the salt pan) before being packaged for sale. No bleaching, pumping, mechanical processing, anti-caking agents, iodine or chemicals are involved.

Certified Natural:
This Flor de Sal is certified natural by Nature et Progrès (equivalent to organic certification in produce). It retains healthy trace minerals and (though dry to the touch) a tiny amount of moisture from the sea.

Applications: Flor de Sal is best appreciated as a finishing salt. Sprinkled on to food just before you eat it, the snowy crystals of this ultra-fine salt dissolve quickly and smoothly into meat, poultry, seafood and other dishes imparting a delicious flavor. Because of its ability to enhance flavors, some chefs even use Flor de Sal in desserts like chocolates and caramels.

How to Store and Share: Store Flor de Sal in a cool, dry place indefinitely.

Origin: Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, Portugal

Shipping Method: UPS Ground