If you haven’t heard of fleur de sel, then you’ve probably never cooked with it. Fleur de sels are formed as a thin oily crust on the surface of salty water as it evaporates slowly. It’s been collected since medieval times, but it was traditionally employed mainly as an antiseptic and cleansing salt. Today, it’s used mainly as a garnish and flavor additive to flavor sea foods.
Fleur de sels have a soft, salty taste, reminiscent of toffee. It can be found in many places around Europe, especially in Scandinavia, where this type of sea salt is used all the time. In fact, the Scandinavians are big fans of fleur de sel and use it not only for salty snacks but also for making their special seafood flavored salt known as kronkor. Scandinavian cuisine is renowned for using heavy spices, so it’s no wonder that Scandinavians also use it for flavoring fish, chips and bread. People in southern France have been making salt deposits from fleur de sel for centuries. In fact, when the French Revolution began, most of the salt in France was made from fleur de sel salt mined in Scandinavia.
Because of its popularity in Scandinavia and other areas of Europe, it’s easy to find fleur de sel salt everywhere. It’s also quite difficult to find fleur de sel in the United States. Fleur de sels were introduced to the U.S. by German immigrants in the 19th century. They were given the name German sea salt in homage to Germany’s war against England, and the Germans took to referring to it as fleur de sel, which meant salt of the sea. Today, there are sea salts on store shelves in grocery stores all over America, but this name is only used in Scandinavia and England.
There are other varieties of salts, including rock salt, unrefined sea salt and Celtic sea salt. Rock salt contains trace minerals that enhance its taste, while unrefined sea salt has no natural minerals in it. Celtic Sea salt is derived from seawater deposited at the ends of huge rocky prominences. Unrefined Celtic salts taste similar to sea salt but it contains iron and manganese, minerals found in sea water.
Like many other types of sea salts, fleur de sel also contains calcium and magnesium, as well as sodium and potassium. The magnesium content of sea salt is usually much higher than that of table salt. This creates a very concentrated salt with lots of ions. These ions are important for attracting moisture to the hair. As hair dries after washing, the crystals within the hair begin to grow, providing nutrients to the hair.
Many people believe that fleur de sel is better for your hair than regular sea salt, because it contains more magnesium and iron. It’s true that these minerals can improve the condition of your hair, but they do not have any effect on whether your hair will grow or not. It’s important to read labels carefully when shopping for sea salt or any other type of mineral-based finishing salt, and look for other minerals that may be listed as ingredients.
Some sea salts contain alcohols that can strip your hair of moisture. You should avoid salts with high alcohol content, as this can cause your hair to lose its natural oils. High-quality fleur de sel products rarely contain any alcohols at all. Other ingredients such as herbs and essential oils can improve the condition of your hair, without stripping it of its natural oils.
If you want a more soothing product for your hair, look for fleur de sel cleansing shampoos. These products are usually more concentrated than other salts, and they also include herbal extracts and amino acids to provide the best results. Because of the cleansing and conditioning qualities of this type of shampoo, you can use it to massage your scalp as well as cleanse away dirt and debris. Regular use of fleur de sel products will improve the health of your hair, giving it a silky smooth feel and increased shine. Hair is made healthier and more manageable with regular use of fleur de sel products.
