French Sea Salt (fleur de sel) comes from the deposits around the coasts of southwestern France. Unlike many varieties, this sea salt is produced without the use of fossil fuels, nuclear power or other pollutants. The color of the salt will vary from light amber to a creamy white and can even vary with each location. It is one of the most expensive salts on the market.
The fleur de sel is harvested from the Humber coastal area near Portoferraux in southern France. It is produced with much care and attention in order to maintain the quality and unique flavor of the salt. The Fleur de Sel is one of the finest salt grades available on the market. French sea salt is also known as table salt, because it is usually used on the table instead of kitchen table salt.
The fleur de sel is often used in conjunction with other culinary ingredients such as herbs and spices. Many chefs prefer the salty taste of the sea salt in the sauce they make. It can also be used in place of vinegar or lemon juice when cooking for a wide variety of cuisines. Chefs around the world often use French sea salt in their recipes, knowing that it maintains its natural flavor.
Many chefs are beginning to understand the importance of using the highest grade of sea salt available. It maintains its flavor better than table salt and it enhances the flavors of many dishes. Many chefs today rely on the fleur de sel for their culinary needs and they have developed several ways of using it. Most chefs prefer to mix it with a bit of olive oil to create a light and fresh topping for salads, soups, stews and pasta dishes. Pastas can be enhanced by using this type of sea salt as well. It seals in the flavor and provides an elegant flair to any dish.
Chefs who like to take things to the next level often like to add fleur de sels to a champagne or white wine, or vinaigrette, and then go on to flavor the other ingredients. By using a delicate hand, the salt will blend very well with the other ingredients and make a delicious and elegant cocktail dress for a head table. Salt is often added to young champagne or wine to enhance its flavor as well as to keep it from oxidizing. This helps keep the wine or champagne at the right temperature.
Sea salt is harvested in the ocean and this harvesting creates a very delicate product. In order to maintain the qualities of the sea salt, it must be processed in a very delicate manner. Unlike table salt which has to be processed and stored in open conditions, sea salt must be harvested by hand. The harvesting process creates even more emphasis on each ingredient, as a small, fragile crystal structure is harvested from the sea bed and taken to a plant where technicians melt the crystals in a bath of water using ultra-sound to reduce the size of the crystal structure.
French sea salt comes from more than just one location. Certain areas of France harvest the salt from waters surrounding the English Channel. Certain locations in northern Germany also have unique harvesting rights because these waters are close to the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The unique harvesting methods, combined with the fact that the waters are not only closer geographically to the actual locations where the herbs and spices are grown, allow each region to produce a very distinctive taste that is different from any other on Earth.
If you are looking for a natural alternative to table salt that maintains the highest nutritional value, uses natural minerals and does not contribute to environmental pollution, consider the france de sel. The production of this type of sea salt is not only done in the france, it is also harvested off the shores of the other four countries mentioned above. Each harvesting location and method creates unique products that are superior in every way to any other type of product available on the market today. This natural product is now available in the United States, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom.