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Since ancient times, salt has been a key ingredient in gastronomy. Capable of enhancing the flavor of food, salt melds with dishes as naturally as it does with the human body, which requires a certain amount of salt for survival. Not surprisingly, salt is a gift from nature, generously provided. With the exceptional flavor concentrated in its tiny crystals, salt can completely transform a culinary preparation—provided it is of high quality.
Here are three savory types of salt that I prefer to use in the kitchen, all highly recommended. Choosing one is merely a matter of taste!
Himalayan Salt
With its beautiful color and enticing crystals, this pink salt from the Himalayas will make your heart leap with joy as you use it! This ancient salt emerged around 200 million years ago, formed from the slow evaporation of the Tethys Ocean due to the collision of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Alexander the Great was the first to bring it to Europe around 350 BC, where it was reserved for the privileged: emperors and nobles. Himalayan pink salt is considered the purest salt in the world. Raw, unrefined, unpolluted, and non-iodized, it is suitable for any type of dish and comes in larger crystals or fine powder.
2. Fleur de Sel from Guérande
Fleur de sel—what a more poetic name could there be? Just saying it adds flavor to any dish! More salty than Himalayan salt, fleur de sel is a type of sea salt with a predominantly gray color, influenced by the sand collected during the extraction process of the salt crystals. It is harvested in France, as well as in Portugal and Spain. Specifically, fleur de sel from Guérande is manually harvested in the Brittany region of France along the coast, though the fleur de sel from Camargue is also well-known.
For some chefs, particularly the French, fleur de sel represents perfection in small doses—those little details that complete a dish: just a few crystals sprinkled on a slice of artisanal bread spread with butter, atop a slice of foie gras, or as a finishing touch for desserts—and it’s magic. The crystals of fleur de sel are as precious as a treasure; they are not used for cooking but rather for finishing a culinary masterpiece!
3. Maldon Salt
Sometimes, when someone promises you the sea with salt, they're not exaggerating—especially when it comes to Maldon salt. According to some, Maldon is the preferred salt of top chefs around the world. Hand-harvested and naturally pure, it is distinguished by its unique pyramid-shaped crystals. Legend has it that this salt began being produced in Maldon, on the British coast, around 2000 years ago—it is also a type of sea salt, coming in flake form.
Delicate and full of freshness, Maldon salt is a pure salt that encapsulates even more flavor: just a few flakes of Maldon salt are enough to enhance any dish.
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