Sel gris facts for kids
| Type | Salt |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | France |
| Main ingredients | Salt |
Sel gris (pronounced "sell gree") means "gray salt" in French. It's a type of coarse sea salt that became popular thanks to the French.
This salt gets its name because it has a natural gray color. It comes from the same salt ponds as another famous salt, fleur de sel. However, sel gris is collected differently. It touches the bottom of the salt pond before it's gathered. This contact with the clay bottom gives it its unique gray color. Sel gris is also a bit moist, which makes it special.
How Sel Gris Is Harvested
The bottom of the salt ponds, called oeillet in French, is usually made of clay. Sometimes it can be basalt, sand, concrete, or tile. This special bottom keeps the salt clean and prevents it from mixing with dirt.
Salt harvesters, known as paludiers in French, collect the salt. They use a long wooden rake to gently push or pull the salt. They do this every few days, or sometimes even daily. It's a very careful job because the water can be very shallow. The harvester must not dig into the clay bottom, or the salt could get dirty.
The salt is raked towards the edges of the pond. Then, it's shoveled into a pile. It's left there to dry a little before it's stored. A harvester can collect a lot of sel gris in one day. They might gather between 90 to 165 pounds! This is much more than the 4.5 to 6.6 pounds of fleur de sel they can get daily.
How to Use Sel Gris
Sel gris has many minerals and a coarse grain size. This means you can use it in different ways when you cook. It's great for cooking food, but it also works well as a "finishing salt." A finishing salt is sprinkled on food right before you eat it.
This gray salt is much heavier than regular table salt or kosher salt. So, a small amount of sel gris actually contains more salt. Because it's a moist salt, it doesn't pull moisture out of food. This is different from kosher salt, which is designed to absorb liquids.
Many chefs and food experts like to use sel gris with hearty foods. It pairs well with things like steak and root vegetables. Its rich mineral flavor makes these dishes taste even better.
Examples of Sel Gris
Most companies that make fleur de sel also produce sel gris. Here are some famous types:
- Sel gris from Guerande
- Sel gris from Île de Ré
- Sel gris from Ile de Noirmoutier
- Grigio from Cervia
- Alcochete sal grosso
See also
In Spanish: Sal gris para niños
