Flake Salt

Flake salts come in flat, extended particles rather than compact, dense granules. Flake salts are produced by surface evaporation of the mother brine, or by mechanically rolling granulated salts. Maldon sea salt from the south coast of England includes individual hollow-pyramid crystals measuring as much as a half-inch/1 cm across. The large particles of flake salts and minimally processed sea salts are easier to measure and add by the pinch. Sprinkled onto a food at the last minute, flake salt provides a crunchy texture and a burst of flavor. The flat crystals don’t pack together as compactly as cubic crystals, so a given volume measure of flake salt weighs less than the same measure of granulated salt.