Choose unrefined salt
Today, we're exposed to so many products with different qualities and properties that it's complex to understand what they contain, what differentiates them and why one or another is to be preferred. Salt is no exception to this rule, and some salts are to be preferred to others for reasons relating to their flavor but also for health reasons.
Refined and natural salt: the differences
What is refined salt?
It's not unusual to come across refined salt in the kitchen. In fact, it's chosen for its price, long shelf life, practicality and immaculate white color, which have made it a real must-have for everyday cooking. This whiteness and practicality are, however, the result of a heavy purification process, refining, designed to remove its impurities and give salt its white color and fine texture, but also to eliminate many of its natural assets and authentic flavor.
In contrast, unrefined salt, called natural salt, retains its original mineral composition and therefore all its benefits. Natural salt is naturally grey raw salt produced by the evaporation of seawater or by sedimentation. It naturally contains numerous minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium.
Natural salt from seawater is a seawater salt. It is produced by recovering and then evaporating seawater in salt marshes by paludiers.
Among these salts is the Fleur de sel, a true marsh treasure. Its fine, delicate, crunchy crystals form on the surface of carnation water on warm summer afternoons under a gentle breeze. It is delicately sprinkled and accompanies fruits and vegetables, meats but also desserts with subtlety.
The fruit of the high concentration of salt, coarse salt settles and forms on contact with the clay at the bottom of the carnations. Its raw, crunchy taste can be enjoyed and used in cooking waters, on meats or in salt crusts.
The ground sea salt is derived from the grinding and drying of dry coarse salt. Its fine, authentic taste is suitable for all uses and all dishes, in the kitchen or on the table.
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All Le Guérandais salts are natural (unrefined), unwashed and unbleached salts produced and collected by hand by salt workers in the Guérande marshes using ancestral methods.
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The refining process
The difference between natural salt and refined salt therefore lies in the production and purification process of this transformed salt: refining.
Raw salt is first harvested. It is first washed to remove impurities. It is then heated to eliminate the moisture it contains and filtered to remove residual moisture and impurities. Finally, it is chemically treated to retain only the sodium chloride.
This process, designed to purify salt for better preservation, remove impurities and give it an immaculate white color, nevertheless deprives it of its beneficial natural components. By removing all its minerals, salt is deprived of all its natural benefits. Refined salt is also fortified with iodine to prevent deficiencies.
The addition of iodine to refined salt is a public health measure aimed at preventing iodine deficiencies, which can lead to health problems particularly related to the thyroid. However, this addition does not compensate for the loss of many other minerals that are naturally present in salt: magnesium, potassium and calcium.
This is why natural salt is preferred to refined salt: a balanced source of minerals that doesn't compromise taste. Unrefined salt is truly the choice that combines health and effective flavor.
The authentic flavors of unrefined salt
The taste argument is also an important criterion when choosing between refined and unrefined salt, natural salt. Opting for unrefined salt preserves salt's natural nutritional qualities and allows you to enjoy a richer, more nuanced taste experience.
The preserved minerals add depth, authenticity and subtlety to dishes beyond the simple sensation of saltiness. Making this choice allows you to enjoy a rich sensory experience, while benefiting from a complete (and natural!) nutritional intake.
Unrefined salt therefore embodies the balance between preserving natural nutritional benefits and authentic flavors. The importance of choice therefore focuses on a reasonable choice for both taste and health on a natural (unrefined) type of salt: Fleur de Sel, coarse sea salt or even ground sea salt.
Recognizing unrefined salt from refined salt
The distinction between refined and unrefined salt is therefore based on a number of criteria, such as the color of the salt, its origin, but also its packaging and the legal considerations on which they depend.
As far as color is concerned, unrefined salt (natural salt) generally retains its natural hue, reflecting the minerals present in the deposits. Shades range from delicate pink to gray, depending on the source. Coarse Guérande salt, for example, is naturally grey due to its formation on contact with the clay at the bottom of carnations.
In contrast, refined salt undergoes a purification process that rids it of impurities, generally rendering it immaculately white. Where it comes from is also a major signal: unrefined salt comes from natural environments (salt marshes and natural deposits).
Legally speaking, specific standards govern the use of the terms "natural" or "unrefined" on packaging, giving everyone added assurance as to the origin and quality of the product.
