My question is about the flavour - not its well known and distinctive, soft, large flakes.
This may well be confirmation bias (or weird taste buds!) but to me it actually tastes more of the sea than other salts. A milder flavour, more “briney” and less harsh.
Curious to know what others think and has any chemical analysis been done. Chef Google wasn’t much help.
I think most people like it because of texture more than taste. Also, because of its structure it’s hard to “over” season. I actually don’t love super crazy flaky salts and prefers diamond crystal. I’ve tried to enjoy finishing salts, but on proteins I don’t enjoy it. If it was something more like unsalted nice butter on some toast… some flakey salt would be nice.
I use the flakes as is for finishing (I like the variability of size but that’s just me) - sometimes just rub between finger and thumb if there are monster flakes - and I also have it in an adjustable grinder.
I think you’re right about the general focus on the flakes, but as I say for me it’s the flavour.
According to the Maldon website, their salt has a very specific origin
Seawater from the the Blackwater Estuary in Maldon is carefully harvested on the spring tide, where there is an appreciated art to the temperature and timing, which is a family secret. Master of salt makers have been hand harvesting the naturally formed pyramid-shaped crystals that have since became Maldon’s signature.
Maldon Salt is created through an evaporation process. Brine is evaporated in our salt pans over flames to form the unique salt crystals.
Any idiosyncrasies of the water in the Blackwater Estuary might be preserved in the salt precipitated from it.
This thread reminded me of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJhGkK93OiI
Maybe
It’s all just sodium chloride with different crystal structures that make it different. If there is any flavor difference, it comes from a contaminant trapped with the sodium chloride crystals.
I’m a fan of different salts, but only for their texture differences. I use my own contaminants (flavorings) separately.
Sea salt is more than just NaCl
It better be, the price we pay!!!
We love it.
Bulls Bay Salt Works is Charleston local, and has a distinctive “pluff mud” ambience. It’s quite good, especially on our shrimp and oysters.
I really liked the salt from Mitoku, for me it had the best “ocean” flavor of the sea salts I’ve tried. They get the water form 60 feet below the surface off Okinawa and have their own spray method for making the salt which is supposed to retain trace minerals. Not the easiest to get but worth trying.
I made some under salted focaccia this week and served it with good California olive oil with flaky salt in it. People loved it and I was like “nah it’s shit” but the salted oil people said is a game changer.