Maldon Sea Salt facts for kids
| Industry |
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| Founded | 1882 |
| Headquarters | Maldon,
England
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| Products |
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Maldon Salt is a famous company that makes sea salt. It is located in a town called Maldon in Essex, England. This town is right by the Blackwater Estuary, which is a river mouth where the sea water is very salty. The area is perfect for making salt because it has flat, marshy lands, strong winds, and not much rain.
History of Maldon Salt
Making sea salt in the coastal town of Maldon has a very long history. It goes all the way back to the time of Roman Britain. The Romans built special ponds lined with clay to collect and evaporate salty water.
Later, in 1086, a famous old book called the Domesday Book mentioned that 45 lead pans were used to make salt there. This shows how important salt production was in Maldon for many centuries.
The Maldon Salt Company, as we know it today, was officially started in 1882. Before that, it was part of a local company that dealt with coal. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Maldon's salt became much more popular. This happened after famous chefs like Ruth Rogers, Delia Smith, and Jamie Oliver started using it in their cooking.
How Maldon Sea Salt is Made
Maldon Sea Salt is made by evaporating salty water, called brine. This is done on a large scale using a modern system of gas-fired brick flues. These flues heat the brine, causing the water to turn into steam and leave the salt behind.
In the past, the salt crystals were dried using wood-burning stoves. Later, industrial ovens were used. Now, a special machine called an oscillator helps dry the salt. The company says that their salt forms unique inverted pyramid-shaped flakes. These flakes help stop the salt from clumping together. The flakes are often used as a "finishing salt" to add a final touch to food.
Maldon Salt also claims that their salt has less magnesium than other salts. This means it has less of a bitter taste. Salt made from evaporating seawater usually has more magnesium ions than regular table salt.
The company sells its original sea salt flakes. They also offer different kinds of flavored salts, such as smoked, chilli, and garlic varieties.
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