Product review: Saltverk artisanal sea salt

Saltverk is a new brand of artisan sea salt hailing all the way from Iceland. In a world where the word “artisan” has lost its meaning, companies like this truly preserve traditional manufacturing processes. As a result, Saltverk salts are not only unique but also sustainable.

The Saltverk process

The manufacturing process takes pristine sea water from Reykjanes and hot geyser water. Given this geothermal source of energy is entirely natural, the manufacturing process yields zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The manufacturing process has leaves zero carbon footprint, although there is an environmental cost to get it shipped to your door.

The salts

I was fortunate enough to receive a package with 90gr jars of the current 5 flavours: flaky sea salt, licorice salt, lava salt, birch smoked salt and Arctic thyme salt.

• Flaky sea salt: comes in crunchy, yet light flakes ideal for finishing any dish. Comes in 90gr jars and 250gr refill pouches.
• Licorice salt: mixed with Persian licorice root, recommended for porridge, chocolate, desserts, cakes and popcorn. Comes in 90gr jars.
• Lava salt: this is a black salt thanks to the addition of activated charcoal. Whether you believe in activated charcoal as a detoxifying agent or think it is new age-y BS, you can’t say crunchy black salt looks pretty awesome on anything, especially meat, seafood and fruits, according to the manufacturers. Comes in 90gr jars and 125gr refill pouches.
• Birch smoked salt: this salt is pretty unique, as it’s dried over birch smoke and not just “smoked-flavoured”. Pairing suggestions include fish and salads. Comes in 90gr jars and 125gr refill pouches.
• Arctic thyme salt: another unique salt, paired with wild Icelandic Arctic thyme, which grows on gravel soils and in dry heath lands. It’s meant to be good with meat, especially Icelandic lamb. Comes in 90gr jars.

The taste test

I tried each of the salts with the following foods:

• boiled eggs (as per Diane Sanfilippo’s tip)
• mini Roma tomatoes
• prawns
• potatoes
• steak
• unsalted butter on GF bread
• bocconcini
• dark chocolate (85%)
• grapefruit

Being the geek I am, I’ve tabulated my observations on how well the salts paired with the different foods:

Food	Flaky sea salt	Licorice salt	Lava salt	Birch smoked salt	Arctic thyme salt
boiled eggs	***	**	***	***	***
mini Roma tomatoes	***	**	***	***	***
prawns	***	*	***	***	**
potatoes	***	**	***	***	***
steak	***	**	***	***	***
unsalted butter on GF bread	***	**	***	***	**
bocconcini	***	***	***	***	***
dark chocolate	***	***	***	***	*
grapefruit	***	**	***	**	*

More info

To know more about Saltverk or to shop online, follow the links below:

Website
On Facebook
On Instagram

Recipes

Click on the links below for some recipes using Saltverk salts:

Arctic thyme lamb meatballs with roasted swede mash
Smokey poached salmon and potato salad
Licorice salted chocolate mousse

---

If you need nutrition advice, click here to check out our range of available services.