Sea salt

Achieved by the time-honored traditional method of gathering the ocean water in small ponds and allowing the water to evaporate, leaving behind the mineral-enriched salt crystals. While the crystals are dried, they are not completely dried. If you wish to achieve a drier salt, spread the sea salt on a sheet pan and allow it to air-dry. Sea salt is available both refined and unrefined, in whole crystals or ground. When unrefined, it is often referred to as sel gris, French for “gray salt.” Depending on the refinement and the point of origin of the sea salt, the colors range from opaque to gold to brown. An increasingly popular form of salt, sea salt is now harvested from waters all over the world. The most highly prized and esteemed salt is the Fleur de Sel de Camargue, which is hand panned from the surface of the ocean in the Camargue region in the south of France. Another highly regarded sea salt is the Fleur de Sel, which is obtained from the top ocean surface off the Brittany coast of France. Other popular varieties include those from Hawaii (with a pinkish tint), the Mediterranean Sea (in both fine and coarse grades), Utah’s Great Salt Lake, Maldon sea salt from Essex, England, and Atlantic (with a green hue).