Beechwood Smoked Salt

Beechwood Smoked Salt

Katherine Loffreto

Have you found yourself searching for that last bit of something special to complete a dish, not sure what it is, but know in your heart that it just needs an extra pop of flavor? We’ve got your solution right here! It’s Beechwood Smoked Salt! It’s got an intense smoky flavor that’s going to kick your dishes up a few notches, guaranteed! You’ll be amazed at how it transforms an average dish into something really extraordinary.

Beechwood Smoked Salt is harvested in the Guerande region of France, a city on the western coast of the country – known for its salt marches. In these marches, salterns have been built, where workers collect up to 15,000 tons of cooking salt each year and approx. 300 tons of fleur de sel or “flower of salt” per year. The process is quite simple, tides feed the water reservoirs with sea water, where it gets trapped and begins to evaporate. That process of evaporation continues until there are only a few centimeters of sea water left. Ultimately, the salt crystalizes and produces fleur de sel and coarse salt.

This coarse Guerande salt is finished with a 10 day beechwood smoking process. Beechwood makes an excellent smoking wood, though it’s more typically known as a firewood than a food smoke wood. Beech is a hardwood, which means that it doesn’t produce large levels of thick smoke that come from softer woods like pine or fir. Those soft woods can also produce the potential for acrid tasting buildup on foods, and potentially harmful compounds. Beech wood provides a light smoke that is mild, sweet, and nutty. The elongated smoking process ensures that the flavor not only adheres to the outside of each salt crystal, but also penetrates deep inside for an intense, smoky finish.

The true beauty of this salt is in its versatility.  You may immediately think of putting it on smoked or grilled foods – which is a great place for it! But where this salt really shines is on foods that don’t already have those smoky/grilled characteristics. Think for instance about oven roasted vegetables – a little sprinkle of Beechwood Smoked Salt, and suddenly it’s like they were roasted over an open fire! Or perhaps a few crystals on a rich chocolate pudding. The smoky salt would play beautifully with the sweet cocoa notes of the pudding. Finally, consider a little bit of the Beechwood Smoked Salt on crudo or raw fish preparations. The two make an incredible combination - delicate flavors of raw fish and intense smoky salt crystals are a match made in heaven!

Beechwood Smoked Salt is your new go-to for bold flavor addition. Wonderful on pastries, fish, meats, vegetables, and so much more! The history of this incredible condiment paired with contemporary applications makes this salt a surprising and memorable addition to your kitchen!