Unrefined Sea Salt Sel de Guérande

Traditionally Made Unrefined Salt from the Brittany Coast, France

May 15, 2008

Unrefined, natural food products are set to become increasingly popular in the future, however this traditionally produced sea salt has its roots deep in the past.

Sel de Guérande , salt from the coast near to the village of Guérande, Brittany in North West France is slightly grey and simple delicious. This entirely unrefined, natural product is harvested by hand by traditional methods that have been practiced for centuries, indeed some of the salt pans in use today have been used for over a thousand years! The brand name product Celtic Sea Salt is produced in this region using such traditional techniques.

Wonderful Taste of the Sea

Rich in minerals, sel de Guérande is not the refined, white “sea salt” that we see in many stores. Ask any family in France, the French simply know what tastes good: the salt on the table in many French households is “Sel Marin de Guérande ”, harvested in this traditional way on the Atlantic coast. Top chefs in France use sel de Guerande in their dishes, it is delicious in soups and sauces, as well as for seasoning grilled and roasted dishes.

Mineral Content

But as well as being delicious, Sel de Guérande has a rich and varied mineral content, including magnesium, potassium and calcium, as well as over 50 trace minerals, all straight from the pure seawater of the Atlantic Coast . The potential health benefits of unrefined natural sea salt such as Sel de Guérande are discussed in Sally Fallon's fascinating book Nourishing Traditions.

Traditional Production of Salt

Salt has been harvested from this shoreline since the Iron Age, however it was medieval monks who devised the current technique for harvesting the salt in the 9th century.

Water is admitted into a network of ponds and salt pans at high tide by the skilled salt workers or “Paludiers” who expertly open and close the controlling sluices and dams. The concentration of salt in the water becomes increasingly concentrated as it is transferred to the smaller salt pans. When the salt concentration reaches a critical level salt crystals begin to form and the Paludiers use a variety of traditional tools, including specialized rakes, to collect the salt into heaps which are then left to dry naturally in the wind and sun.

Although the summer is the period of the salt harvest, the Paludiers have plenty of work throughout the year. In winter and spring the salt works are drained and cleaned of seaweed and mud, a considerable task as the salt works cover thousands of acres!

More about the salt works

Visitors to Guérande, nearest main city Nantes, can take a guided tour of the salt works, visit a permanent exhibition about this traditional production of salt, and visit the onsite shop to buy the wonderful salt.

Mark Kurlansky’s book Salt a World History offers a fascinating insight into the significance of salt through the ages.

The copyright of the article Unrefined Sea Salt Sel de Guérande in French Cuisine is owned by Joanne E. Brannan. Permission to republish Unrefined Sea Salt Sel de Guérande in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.