Figueira da Foz, Portugal
Flor De Sal
The delicate finishing crust, hand-skimmed from the surface of the pans. Crisp flakes that hold their shape and dissolve on the tongue, for the last pinch before serving.
Reach for Artisanal Sea Salt (£9) day to day, or take both in the Salty Duo (£20, save £3).
- Hand-harvested in Figueira da Foz
- No additives, ever
- Atlantic mineral salt
The salt
A pinch above the rest.
The finishing salt: delicate flakes hand-skimmed from the surface of the pans in Figueira da Foz. The last pinch that turns a good dish into an occasion.
01 · Which salt, what for
One for cooking. One for finishing.
Two salts from the same Atlantic water. Cook with the everyday grain, then finish with the delicate flor de sal crust, where its flake and gentle crunch are the whole point.
Artisanal Sea Salt
The everyday grain, slow-crystallised and raked by hand from the pans. Dissolves clean into whatever you are cooking.
Best forSeasoning as you cook, pasta water, roasting, baking.
Flor de Sal
The delicate crust skimmed from the surface of the water. Crisp flakes that hold their shape and crunch.
Best forThe final pinch before serving, tomatoes, eggs, chocolate, meat off the heat.
02 · Why it is worth it
Flor de sal forms only on the stillest, warmest days, a fine crust on the very surface of the pans. It is skimmed off by hand before it sinks, so only a small amount is gathered. That scarcity, and the delicate flake it leaves, is why cooks save it for the finish.
Natural
Evaporated by sun and wind. Nothing forced.
Nothing added
No anti-caking agents. No additives of any kind.
Mineral-rich
Magnesium, calcium and the trace minerals of the sea.
What you'll notice
Fine, delicate flakes.
Flor de sal is the opposite of an everyday grain. It forms as a fine crust on the very surface of the pans when the sun and wind are just right, and is skimmed off by hand the same day, before it sinks. That is why the flakes are so light and fragile, and why they melt the moment they touch warm food. Add them at the very end, where the delicate crunch is the whole point.
Silva Kitchen
A few ways to start.
A taste of the Kitchen, opening this winter. Simple ways to put the salt to work.
Placeholder recipes and imagery, found-for-mockup, to be replaced with Silva Kitchen photography.
Everyday
Tomatoes, olive oil, a pinch of flor de sal
Weekend
Crisp-skinned salmon, seasoned as it cooks
Sweet
Dark chocolate, finished with flakes
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Flor de sal vs fleur de sel: what is the difference?
They are the same salt in two languages. Fleur de sel is the French name, flor de sal the Portuguese, both the fine crust of crystals hand-skimmed from the very top of the pans. Ours is skimmed by hand in Figueira da Foz, on the Atlantic coast of Portugal. Delicate, flaky and mineral-rich, it is a finishing salt, not an everyday cooking salt.
What exactly is flor de sal?
Flor de sal, the flower of salt, is the fine layer of crystals that forms on the very surface of the pans on still, warm days. It is lifted off by hand before it sinks, so only a little is gathered each day. Light, flaky and faintly briny, it is the most prized salt the pans give up.
Flor de sal vs everyday sea salt: when do I use each?
Reach for our Artisanal Sea Salt while you cook, seasoning as you go, pasta water, roasting. Reach for flor de sal at the very end, pinched over the finished plate, where the delicate flakes and gentle crunch are the whole point. One builds the flavour, the other crowns it.
How do I use a finishing salt?
Pinch it between your fingers and scatter it over food just before serving, off the heat. It is for the final flourish: ripe tomatoes and good olive oil, a fried egg, grilled fish or steak, even dark chocolate and caramel. Add it last so the flakes keep their crunch.
Why is flor de sal so fine and delicate?
Because it is only the very top of the salt. Flor de sal is the fine crust that forms on the surface of the pans when the sun and wind are right, skimmed off by hand the same day before it sinks. That is why the flakes are so light and fragile, and why they melt on contact. For everyday cooking, reach for the coarser Artisanal Sea Salt.
The craft
Skimmed by hand, at first light.
Flor de sal is the fine crust that forms on the surface of the pans on still, warm days. It is skimmed off by hand before it sinks, the lightest and most delicate salt the pans give up. Only a little forms each day.
Figueira da Foz, Portugal. Skimmed the same way for centuries.
At the table
Some things bring out the best in people.
The joyful summer gatherings. The happiness of sharing good food and good times. There is always room for one more at the table, and a pinch of good salt in the pot.
