French Salt

While the earth was forming millions upon millions of years ago, the Guérande salt ponds in Brittany, northwestern France, were part of a bay in the pristine Atlantic Ocean. Climatic changes and the steady retreat of the ocean left behind a series of low-lying pools that flooded regularly. The first written record of a salt swamps in the region dates back to 854. Harvesting of the salt became common practice from the 10th to the 15th centuries and a 2,000 year-old method of the ancient Celtics has been carried on.

By the Middle Ages the ocean began advancing inland toward the salt ponds to repossess them but the locals had already begun extracting the “white gold” by then and their wills prevailed over nature. Between 1540 and 1660 the salt pond area was firmly established and the demand for sea salt from Guérande spread throughout the world.

The regional sun and winds had created the enormous salt ponds and brought into existence a completely natural and unprocessed source of trace elements and gourmet taste.

Two kinds of sea salts are produced in the salt ponds of Guérande: The Coarse Gray Sea Salt and the Flower of Salt. Both these sea salts are beneficial to our health because they are inherently rich in essential trace minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, iron and iodine, yet they are low in the harmful sodium chloride.

The salt crystals of the Coarse Gray Sea Salt are formed on the bottom of the salt ponds and are raked, loosened, hauled out of the water and heaped in a pyramid-like formation on dry land for dehydration. Each section of every pond can produce approximately 50 pounds of raw coarse salt per day. The French in Brittany and elsewhere around the country use only coarse salt, both in their home cooking and in fine cuisines by professional chefs, claiming that using the Guérande sea salt brings new meaning to the concept of flavors and seasoning in cooking.

On certain afternoons and when the winds blow from the east, fine crystals form on the surfaces of the salt ponds and form the Fleur de Sel, the Sea Salt Blossom in English, or literally The Flower of Salt. When Fleur de Sel is harvested with fine specialized rakes it is pale pink but becomes white after drying naturally in the sun. Only one pound of Fleur de Sel is produced for every 80 pounds of coarse sea salt. This is considered the very best salt on the planet and very powerful and highly concentrated—a mere few tiny grains are sufficient for flavoring an entire individual serving. With its subtle taste of violets, Fleur de Sel is the perfect replacement for ordinary table salt and is best with fresh ripe tomatoes, grilled vegetables or meats, salads, soups, baked fish, sauces, and popcorn.

Sea salt contains over 100 minerals composed of 80 chemical elements and its composition is so complex that no laboratory in the world can reproduce what nature does for us seemingly with ease. And this salt has been used since the beginning of life on our planet by ocean plants, by animals and by men.

Feel free to treat yourself to the heavenly French condiment from the salt ponds of Guérande. It’s OK, it’s good for you.

Posted in France Vacation Guide