Salin d'Aigues-Mortes (Saltworks of Aigues-Mortes, France) Sea Salt from the Salts of the Earth Collection by Merchant Spice Co.

Exclusively sourced from the Mediterranean Preserve of Aigues-Mortes on the coast of France, this gourmet sea salt has been produced on this site since antiquity. Peccius, a Roman engineer at the start of the Christian Era, was put in charge of organizing salt production. In 1856, the different salt marsh owners united to found the Salins du Midi (Saltworks of the South). The renowned salt is gathered from the salt-pans at Aigues-Mortes, a protected area covering some 10,800 hectares of untamed land.

Here's how it's done ...

During the spring tides, water from the ocean is directed towards the storage ponds (vasières). This is the first stage in the harvesting of sea salt.

The water circulates from pond to pond over the next few weeks: from “vasière” to “cobier”, then to the “fare” via the “aderme”, ending up in the crystallizing pond known as the “œillet”. During this journey, the salt concentration increases due to natural evaporation caused by the combined action of the sun and the wind and the artisanry of the salt worker.

The salt crystallizes on the clay bottom of the “œillet”. It is harvested by hand every day by a salt worker, using a special rake (“las”). The salt is then placed in a pile on a “ladure” (a round platform at the centre of the “œillet”), where it drains before being stored in a “mulon”.

Hand-harvested in the late afternoon using a special rake (“lousse”), salt crystals form naturally on the surface of the water through the action of the sun and the wind.

A member of the “Comité des Salines de France” (a professional organization made up of the salt producers established in France), the Salins Group (producers of this gourmet sea salt) has signed the “food salt quality charter” to guarantee consumers an irreproachable salt quality and total food safety.

Packaged in a stand-up, resealable bag for your convenience.

Available in a 1-ounce sampler size, 2 ounces, 4 ounces or 8 ounces (1/2 pound).

Enjoy the Spice of Life!

Ingredients: Fine or coarse grained sea salt from the Mediterranean Preserve of Aigues-Mortes in the South of France