Portuguese Sea Salts

This salt will radically alter the results of your cooking. Its sweet, clean flavor is exciting and nothing like standard table salt or commercial sea salts. It virtually transforms the food that it touches.

We found this salt in the Algarve, the southern tip of Portugal, where sea salt has been collected and exported since the 11th century. Unfortunately, traditional sea-salt gathering had almost died by the end of the 20th century. Enter marine biology student João Navalho and some fellow modern traditionalists. They revived the practice, both in the name of good food and ecology. Since they've refashioned the salt pools and built their wooden salt rakes, egrets and herons have returned to the blossoming ecosystem, as have salt lovers.

All natural, these salts have a clean, bright flavor that's not marred by the metallic aftertaste in most commercial sea salts. The coarse salt is best for cooking. Use the fine salt like flor de sal for baking, or for sprinkling on top of dishes just before you serve them.