Every kitchen needs salt, but not all salts are made equally. Two forms of salt that are frequently used in cooking and baking are fleur de sel and sea salt. Despite their apparent similarity, the two have significant variances that might impact the flavor and texture of your dish.  

What is Fleur de Sel?

A salt called fleur de sel is gathered by hand from saltwater ponds’ surfaces. It has a delicate flavor, a moist texture, and very fine-grained salt. Due to the time-consuming harvesting procedure, Fleur de sel sea salt is one of the most expensive salt varieties.

What is Sea Salt?

Though it is typically gathered by evaporating seawater, sea salt can also be made from salt water. As the water evaporates, the salt is left behind; the crystals are then gathered and processed. Due to the presence of trace minerals, sea salt has a rougher texture than fleur de sel and a stronger flavor.

Texture

The texture of fleur de sel and sea salt is one of their primary distinctions. Fleur de sel is perfect for completing meals because of its extremely fine texture and slightly moist consistency. Just before serving, it is frequently sprinkled on top of foods to give a flavorful crunch.

Contrarily, sea salt has a rougher texture and a drier consistency. It can dissolve more easily and uniformly in recipes, making it better suitable for use in cooking and baking.

Flavor

Fleur de sel has a very mild and faint flavor. It is ideal for complementing the natural tastes of meals because it has a subtle sweetness and a sense of minerality. Finishing foods like grilled meats and salads with fleur de sel is common.

In contrast, the flavor of sea salt is stronger because it contains trace minerals. Its more nuanced flavor profile can bring out the flavors of strong components like garlic, onions, and spices. To season foods and enhance the flavors of the ingredients, sea salt is frequently used.

Uses

Fleur de sel is frequently used as a finishing salt, which means that it is sprinkled on top of meals right before serving to give them one last flavorful and textural boost. 

More uses can be found for sea salt, which is more adaptable. In baking and cooking, it can be used to season food and enhance the flavors of the ingredients. In addition to brines and marinades, high quality sea salt is frequently used in salt rubs on meat and fish.

Sea salt and fleur de sel are both delicious and functional salts that can enhance the flavor and texture of your food. You may choose the proper salt for your recipes and advance your cooking by being aware of the differences between these two types of salt.