The Le Guérandais salt marshes can be found in the medieval town of Guérande in northwestern France. The French salt brand’s namesake town in the Brittany region is a veritable landmark, having been a prime location for natural sea salt harvesting since the Iron Age. From the monks of Landévennec Abbey to the Guérandais workers of the 1970s and 1980s, who stood their ground when property developers threatened the marshes, the ancient tradition of sea salt harvesting lives on. Awarded the Nature & Progress title in 1989, and the only salt producer to earn the coveted Label Rouge title in 1991, Le Guérandais has become a market leader in French salt.
Hand-Harvested, Natural Sea Salt
Le Guérandais salt is an unrefined, natural sea salt hand-harvested using traditional methods. During the summer, salt workers use a wooden rake called a “las” to bring the naturally grey salt up from the clay bottoms of the ponds. Infused with trace nutritional elements from the clay, the coarse sea salt is left to dry naturally through evaporation — no artificial processes or additives needed!
What is fleur de sel?
In 2012, Guérande salt and "fleur de sel" were the first to be given a Protected Geographical Indication, meaning that their salt’s quality is certified by the French government. So what is fleur de sel, anyway? As mentioned earlier, Le Guérandais offers naturally grey coarse sea salt, but they also sell the prized fleur de sel (literally, “flower of salt"), which is a rare, naturally white sea salt. Fleur de sel salt is recognized by chefs all over the world for its purity and rich flavor; it is “the salt of salts.” Fleur de sel is best used as a finishing salt, to add a touch of refinement and flavor to foods both sweet and savory, like edamame, gourmet caramels, and more!
