What is flaky sea salt? How it differs from table salt and kosher salt
Flaky sea salt is salt in its lightest form: thin, hollow pyramid crystals that grow on the surface of warm brine. Press one between your fingers and it shatters. Put one on your tongue and it dissolves almost at once, a clean burst of salt with nothing bitter behind it.
How the flakes form
Most salt is mined, or made by evaporating seawater fast into small, dense grains. Flakes need patience. At our saltworks in Reykjanes, in the Westfjords of Iceland, Arctic seawater is warmed slowly with geothermal heat until it becomes a strong brine. Crystals form on the surface, grow into little pyramids and sink. We lift them out by hand, drain them and dry them, one pan at a time.
Flaky salt vs table salt
Table salt is fine and uniform. In the US it is usually iodized, and it often has an anti-caking agent so it pours freely. It is made for consistency. Flaky sea salt is made for texture and taste. Because the flakes are large and hollow, a teaspoon of flakes weighs less than a teaspoon of fine salt, so it seasons more gently by the spoonful.
Flaky salt vs kosher salt
Kosher salt is a coarse, irregular grain that many cooks pinch while they cook: into pasta water, onto meat before it hits the pan. The name comes from its traditional use in koshering meat, not from a certification. Flaky salt can be used the same way, but it really shines at the end. A simple rule: kosher salt is the salt you cook with, flaky salt is the salt you finish with. (Our Pure Flaky Sea Salt also happens to be Kosher certified.)
When to use flaky salt
- On a steak, a roast or grilled vegetables, right before serving
- On eggs, avocado toast and ripe summer tomatoes
- On dark chocolate, caramel and cookies straight from the oven
- On fish, and on the rim of a cocktail
What is in a jar of Saltverk
Two ingredients: Arctic seawater and geothermal heat. No anti-caking agents, no added iodine, no bleaching. Every batch is third-party tested for heavy metals. And because our production runs on 100% geothermal energy, our carbon footprint in making the salt is zero.
Shop Pure Flaky Sea Salt or read 10 simple ways to use finishing salt.