Table of Contents
Quick answer
Fleur de sel is a hand-harvested French finishing salt skimmed from evaporation ponds. It is delicate, moist, and used at the table, not in the pot.
French for 'flower of salt.' A delicate finishing salt hand-harvested from the surface of evaporation ponds in France. Considered one of the finest and most expensive salts, prized for its subtle flavor and irregular crystal structure.
Fleur de sel means 'flower of salt' in French. Workers skim these delicate crystals from the surface of evaporation ponds, usually in coastal France. The salt is moist, fine, and expensive, prized for finishing rather than bulk cooking.
In Practice
A pinch of fleur de sel on caramel or dark chocolate balances sweetness. Paludiers in Guérande harvest it by hand with a wooden rake called a lousse.