Organic Flor de Sal – truly natural salt flakes

The cream of the crop, Marisol Flor de Sal is the thin, glistening layer of flaky crystals that forms at the surface of the traditional saltpans in southern Portugal’s Ria Formosa and Castro Marim nature reserves.

No artificial processing

Marisol® Flor de Sal is a truly natural gourmet salt. The salt flakes are skimmed off the brine by skilled artisans. Production capacity may be limited by weather conditions. Harvested crystals are not subjected to any artificial processes:

• The Algarve’s hot, dry summers guarantee natural evaporation by the sun and the wind – no need to heat the brine artificially.
• Gravity carries the brine from the evaporation ponds to small crystallisation pans – no need to pump the brine mechanically.
• Flor de Sal is naturally white – no need to wash the crystals after harvesting.
• The flaky crystals are left to dry in the Algarve sunshine – no need for artificial drying.
Needless to say Marisol® Flor de Sal is free from additives and certified organic (PT-BIO-04).

Sustainable source

The reason we harvest Flor de Sal this way is not just nostalgic. Traditional methods of gathering salt create a very small ecological footprint. Marisol’s business is run in partnership with local saltpan producers, and together they help to conserve the natural estuaries, and Atlantic coastline within the Ria Formosa and Castro Marim nature reserves. In addition, this economic activity creates alternative employment opportunities in a region typically dominated by tourism.

Superior taste

Marisol Flor de Sal flakes are harvested daily in the summer months. The young, fragile crystals grow for a few hours only before they are gathered. The way Flor de Sal is produced makes it rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. It is this specific composition, which gives Marisol Flor de Sal its distinctive flavour. A flavour, which is a world away from common table salt and other, processed sea salts.

How to use it

Marisol Flor de Sal is the perfect finishing salt for everyday use and brings a special taste to all prepared dishes. Its smooth flakes crumble between the fingers and melt on the tongue. Sprinkled over any prepared dish, the salt adds a delicate, subtle taste and enhances the intrinsic flavours of the ingredients.

How to store it

Flor de Sal should be stored in a way that keeps its natural moisture, the so-called ‘mother liquor’. This preserves minerals and essential elements contained in the natural sea salt such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Artisan salt production

How Flor de Sal is harvested

Chemical composition

Tested on a regular basis, Marisol® Flor de Sal is free of toxic substances such as heavy metals, nitrates and pesticides.

Typical analytical values:

Sodium Chloride (NaCl)

97 % (in dry matter)

Moisture

6.5 %

Calcium (Ca)

0.1 %

Magnesium (Mg)

0.4 %

Potassium (K)

0.2 %

Iron (Fe)

5 mg/kg

Insolubles

< 0.02 %

pH 8.5

Detailed results available on request