Sel Gris de Guerande - Sea Salt from France

One of the earliest traditions is the method of harvesting salt from the swift, pure ocean currents off the town of Guérande, Brittany. As the tide comes in, seawater is first allowed to settle in a silt pond before continuing its course to the shallow salt-fields dug in the native clay. After the combined effect of sun and wind evaporates the seawater to a dense brine, it is flowed into saltpans to crystallize.

As in the days of the earliest Celtic settlers, wood rakes are still used today to recover the salt from the bottom of the pan. The French government, which smiles on all things traditional, has granted this sel gris de Guérande salt its Nature et Progrès certificate, equivalent to Organic. Nothing less that this combination of swift sea, settling, natural clay, sun, wind, and domesticated Gallic raking is responsible for the abundant graces of a true sel gris de Guérande. Its high moisture content gives this finishing salt resilience on red meat, substantial vegetables, cheeses, and chocolates, preserving crunch and complexity, giving its high mineral content and helter-skelter crystal structure time to join forces in the mouth, where they venture forth, free, marauders once again.