Guérande, in northwestern France, is both a medieval walled town and the name given to a peninsula where the town is located. What makes both so special (aside from the citadel, history, food, and culture) are the many tidal marshes which date to antiquity.
Photo courtesy iStockphoto
Gros Sel de Guérande is a high moisture unrefined sea salt harvested from this coastal area of France. ... It has a light grey color that comes from the clays found in the collection flats. Because of these clays, the salt has a unique mineral taste.
The amazing part of this salt is that it has been harvested by hand in the same manner for hundreds of years, using techniques that have become part of the cultural patrimony of France.
We discovered Sel de Guérande a few years ago in a spice market in Bordeaux. Available in bulk, we packed a couple kilograms of it in our luggage and brought it home. We loved its minerality and the authentic French twist it gave to homemade stocks and...well just about everything. In fact we now keep a small antique mortar full of it on the dining table.
If you'd like try this edible bit of French history, you'll find 8oz jars of it available on this website...just click over to the Pantry section, in the Shop dropdown menu.
