FleurdeSEL Discovering France’s Best Kept Secret
S
alt has been used for centuries not only for enhancing the flavor of food but also for its medicinal properties. The world boasts a variety of salts including table, kosher, rock and flake but one of the most luxurious varieties is fleur de sel, which hales from the Brittany region of France. When it comes to salt, not all varieties are created equal. Fleur de sel, often referred to as the ‘caviar of salt’, is a particular variety where the century-old cultivation technique makes it unique and also very expensive. Today there are remarkably five salt works that are still in production from the 9th century. While the majority of the region including the coastal towns
of Noirmoutier and Carmague yield this variety, the salt harvested from Geurande is particularly desirable. The salt is harvested by hand in the late afternoon during the dry season which produces pure white salt, unlike some varieties that have a slight grey tinge also known as ‘sel gris’. The harvest is obtained by the farmers skimming the surface of the water with pans that are then left to dry in the open air. Eventually the crystals form together to resemble a flower, thus the translation being ‘salt flower’. This variety of salt is the perfect compliment to meat and fish and can add a great finishing touch to a sweet dessert.
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