Unrefined Le Guerande Celtic Sea Salt - Grey Coarse 5kg - certified by Nature & Progress
Traditionally harvested Atlantic Sea Salt from the Celtic Sea coast of Brittany. Natural crystals of sea salt that has not been ground, and as such appears as a coarse grey Celtic sea salt.
This salt is completely as nature created it - unwashed, unground, unrefined - nothing added or removed at all.
Tested for purity - certified with Nature and Progress.(details below)
The Difference Between Unrefined Celtic Salts and Rock Salts (Himalayan salt etc.)
Many people think Himalayan salt is better because it comes from a time long ago. This may be true, but there is much more to this picture. In France Himalayan salt is called Fossil salt. This is because it has become rock through millions of years of geologic activity. As rock, the minerals in the salt have become fossilised. These minerals cannot be called organic minerals. The minerals in an unrefined sea salt are organic, and as such are bio-available and used well by the body. The organic minerals in sea salts are created in the most part by the decomposition of life forms in the seas. Only a small portion is from rocks broken down by the action of water.
For minerals to be bio-available they need to have been passed through a life form - either plant or animal. This is the food chain, from rock to plant to animal.
Regarding the potential for micro plastic in Guerande salt: Micro plastic floats on the surface of the water. This salt is created at the bottom of a series of clay-lined lagoons. The seawater is naturally filtered seventeen times before it reaches the last of the collections ponds. These age-old systems of filtration are very sophisticated; sometimes it is the water of the surface which is filtered, sometimes the water of the middle and sometimes the bottom water in turn, up to seventeen times.
No analysis has ever found any micro plastic in the Sel de Guerande.
There is so much debate about which source of salt is the best. Do your research and make your own choice. We also list Himalyan salt.
Really natural, unrefined Guerande sea salt is naturally damp and is best kept in something like a "salt pig' for easy use in the kitchen or at the table. We use one of our beautiful Miron glass bowls
Details Click to see more
Real Celtic Salt should be a grey colour, which denotes its mineral content.
Our Celtic salt carries a certification from Nature and Progress, a French organic and environmental standard, which ensures its purity, quality and sustainability. Our Guerande salt has carried this certification since 1989.
Guerande sea salt has been produced in Brittany using the same ancient methods for several thousand years. Wooden tools are used. There are good reasons for this. Wood is considered an inert material which will not harm the delicate balance of the salt. Metal is considered too harsh. The sea salt crystals are formed naturally as the sea water is not evaporated by the introduction of an artificial heat source, as in the production of many of the modern sea salts. It is believed this damages the delicate structure of the crystal. Instead, in the Guerande the sea water passes through several kilometres of clay lined channels and pools. During this time the seawater is naturally filtered and it slowly evaporates under the influence of the wind and the sun.
Fleur de Sel
At a certain point in the year the conditions become just right for the salt to crystallise on the surface of these lagoons, rather than at the bottom. This is the time that the skilful "Plaudiers" carefully gather up these delicate salt crystals. This is the origin of the precious Fleur de Sel.
The seawater carries on its journey until it has evaporated enough and only the natural grey salt crystals are left behind. These crystals are raked up by hand. The people here in Le Guerandais region have made their living this way, in harmony with their environment, continually for many centuries.
The region is a haven for wildlife, and the pristine environment is bursting with life.
Arguably, the most healthful of all the salts is the "coarse" grey Celtic salt. This salt is un-ground and damp. The dampness is a good sign. Salt naturally forms crystals as the sea water evaporates. It is damp because the natural minerals, particularly magnesium attract moisture and the salt crystals clump together and appear larger.
In tests this Celtic salt has been shown to contain approximately 70% sodium chloride, leaving approximately 30% to be other minerals etc. This type of salt contains all the natural minerals that occur in the sea. Nothing is removed. It is said by some that even the act of grinding the salt can cause the loss of certain gases from inside the crystals. (from - Seasalts Hidden Powers by Jaques De Langres)
This salt may not be ideal for your salt mill, but will be great stored in a traditional salt pig or salt pot. We use a beautiful Miron glass container (sold separately) and serve it with a carved wooden spoon.
