Fleur De Salt Overview
The quintessential elegant finishing salt, Fleur de Seil, by artisan, is among the world’s most popular artisanal salt selections. Sought after by consumers everywhere, this luxurious salt is the result of years of cool wind gently fluttering over the roughest white salt pans at an old, cold ocean shore. Each salty crystal goes through several unique artistic processes to bring you the highest quality of minerals, color and stability. The result is a versatile, luxurious and naturally delectable salt with a soft, delicate grain that will work well in virtually any cooking method.
French Salt Marshes in France have long been considered as the epitome of fine salt. Often harvested from the seabed off the coast of Southern France, Fleur de Sel is harvested from the sea bed just offshore of Bordeaux, in the region of La belle-juventone. Known for its purity and quality, it has been a symbol of prosperity and luxury for centuries. But in addition to that it is also the epitome of sophistication and class, because it goes through a lengthy production process from start to finish.
Because of its location and climate, only natural, artisanal Fleur de Sel salts are harvested and processed on French coasts. Because it must undergo a lengthy and rigorous harvesting process, the salt is remarkably soft and silky. It goes through four primary steps during the harvesting process. First, salt poults are harvested and then gathered into two different masses which are then further processed.
These two mass sieves are then blended together to form an oily mixture which is then harvested and sent to a curing plant. Here it undergoes further processing including filtration, boiling and filtering, all of which help to refine the salt. Finally, the cheese is fully dried and the salts are available for sale.
In terms of taste, fleur de sel is much softer than ordinary table salt. Its texture is often referred to as silvery or grey. Often compared to rock salt, its texture reminds one of tiny oysters. It has a salty taste, although some people find it slightly metallic.
As for the harvesting and production process itself, fleur de sel harvested coarse grey salt is mined primarily from coastal regions in Southern France. Initially, the area was simply opened to natural salt production. However, later on, because of the desirability of the salt, more areas were targeted, making the production and harvesting process highly regulated. This limited supply prompted the creation of underground mines in many areas. Also, in order to preserve the supply chain, new technology was introduced to help control the environmental impacts.
Fleur de sel is also widely used in the food and beverage industry. The most famous products include French fries and salted fish. It can also be found in such products as shampoos and hair care products. Fleur de sel is commonly used in the production of bathing products, as it helps improve the cleansing process by removing dirt and debris from the pores.
The salty brine produced from fleur de sel is high in sodium and acidity. Because of this, it was once used as an alternative to sea water. The salt’s purpose then was to replace the moisture in sea water, but it did not take off as a replacement since it contained salt. The problem with sea water is that it is highly contaminated by toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide, making it unfit for human consumption. As a result, France banned its use as a replacement. Fleur de sel has, thus, been able to gain a reputation as the premier alternative to sea water.