Prized by home cooks and many top restaurant chefs across the country, Vancouver Island Salt Co. sea salt has proven to be a local product with truly national and even global potential. But becoming Canada’s first sea salt harvestry did not come without it’s challenges, as our cold climate makes evaporating sea water very energy intensive. In order to operate in a sustainable manner, Vancouver Island Salt Co has relentlessly pursued innovation in salt harvesting, beginning with the use of recycled vegetable oil as a fuel source for evaporation and now moving toward an increased reliance on electricity to take advantage of BC’s use of renewable hydro-electric power.
While focusing on sustainability, Vancouver Island Salt Co. has been uncompromising in its goal of delivering a truly unrefined product to the Canadian market. Many people are surprised to learn that what Canadians call ‘table salt’ includes various chemicals that help it to flow through a salt shaker. They are even more surprised to learn that ‘table salt’ contains sugar! In contrast, Vancouver Island Salt Co. sea salts contain no additives. The result is a big, bold flavour that many fans of the product say allow them to use less in their recipes than they would for other salts. That’s great news for anyone concerned about reducing their sodium intake.
In addition to its pure unrefined sea salt and coveted Fleur de Sel (think the extra virgin olive oil equivalent of sea salt), Vancouver Island Salt Co. offers a variety of ‘finishing salts’ infused with flavours ranging from blue cheese to roasted garlic. These are all produced in small batches, and guaranteed to be an interesting addition to the pantry of any home chef.
Related Posts
Secure Site