Marisol – Organic Traditional Sea Salt

Marisol® Sal Tradicional is a naturally white, unrefined sea salt in superior quality, certified organic and gathered by hand in traditional saltpans in southern Portugal’s Ria Formosa and Castro Marim nature reserves. This artisanal Atlantic salt retains its natural moisture and the seawater's minerals such as Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium.

No artificial processing

Traditional sea salt is a truly natural sea salt, gathered from the bottom of the saltpans. After harvest, the crystals do not undergo 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.
• Traditional sea salt 'Sal Tradicional' is skilfully harvested – no need to wash the crystals after harvesting.
• The salt is left to dry in the Algarve sunshine – no need for artificial drying.
Needless to say that Marisol® Sal Tradicional is free from additives and certified organic (Certiplanet, PT-BIO-04).

Sustainable source

The reason we harvest our traditional sea salt 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 saltpans, natural estuaries, and the 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.

Subtle taste

Marisol® Sal Tradicional is harvested by hand in the summer months. Its crystals are allowed to grow for a couple of weeks in the concentrating brine, which makes the salt rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. This specific mineral composition lends Marisol Sal Tradicional its balanced, subtle taste, when compared to common table salt and other, processed sea salts.

How to use it

Traditional sea salt is your everyday cooking salt for any culinary purpose. Its mineral composition enhances the intrinsic flavours of the food. Use it in coarse grade for cooking pasta, potatoes and vegetables, and in medium or fine grade for seasoning or a finer dispersal of flavour. The unprocessed salt crystals dissolve quickly and are little different in taste to Flor de Sal.

How to store it

Sal tradicional 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.