coarse sea salt

Coarse sea salt from Altes Gewürzamt for the pot and mill

Coarse sea salt from Altes Gewürzamt is a coarse-grained salt from Portuguese salt pans, packaged in a one-kilogram bag. The thick crystals dissolve slowly, ensuring even seasoning—whether in pasta water or in a crust over fish.

Coarse sea salt is the everyday salt from Altes Gewürzamt in Klingenberg am Main, harvested on the Portuguese Atlantic coast and packaged in a one-kilo bag. There is only one word on the list of ingredients, and in the kitchen, these grains are used for everything that is cooked with salt.

Coarse-grained, pure, and mineral-rich

Between the fingers, the grains feel angular and dry, and they pour heavily, as good salt should. The taste is pure and full-bodied, with the minerality that only seawater provides.

Coarse-grained, pure, robust: this is the foundation of everyday cooking, and just a few grains provide plenty of seasoning. A thick crystal takes longer to dissolve and therefore seasons evenly rather than all at once. Fine powder, on the other hand, disappears immediately and easily tempts you to over-season.

In the salt pans, both types are produced side by side. A gossamer-thin crust of crystals forms on the water's surface, which is skimmed off by hand, while the coarse grains grow on the bottom of the basin over several weeks. After drying, it is raked together, washed, and filled into bags.

Sea salt for pasta water and salt crusts

Its place is in bubbling pasta water, which should taste of good sea salt. Calculate about ten grams per liter and season only when the water is boiling, as the pasta only absorbs its flavor from there. Anything added later as a sauce only affects the exterior.

For a salt crust, mix the entire kilo bag with two egg whites and a little water to create a damp snow-like consistency. Use this to coat a whole fish and place it in the oven. The shell hardens, keeping the juices in the meat, and is cracked open at the table with the back of a spoon.

Coarseness is also an advantage in a mill, as fine grains tend to clump in the mechanism, while thick crystals are caught cleanly. Potatoes, soups, and braised dishes are its domain—anything that has time. For the finishing touch on the plate, it is better to use the Flor de Sal or the Gourmet salt in pyramid flakes.

From Portuguese salt pans to Altes Gewürzamt

Good sea salt relies on its purity, because the cleaner it is harvested, the clearer it tastes later on the plate. This is exactly what Altes Gewürzamt ensures, even with the simplest salt on the shelf.

On the Atlantic coast, the sun and wind have been working the same way for centuries, and the alternation of hot days and a steady breeze determines how quickly the basins thicken. A wet summer reduces the harvest, a dry one makes it plentiful, and this salt requires no more craftsmanship than that.

A kilo sounds like a lot, but it is quickly used up in a kitchen, and it cannot spoil. A handful in an open dish next to the stove can be grabbed rather than poured while cooking. Keep the rest sealed and dry, as these grains will absorb any moisture from the air.

On the Altes Gewürzamt shelf, the bag can be found in the salt and seasoned salt selection, alongside the rest of the Altes Gewürzamt product range.