A while ago, I ran into a reference to gray French sea salt while reading some recipe or other. Ignored it, because I thought I'd never find it. By accident, I found some recently in a local organic food store. Used it on a Carol Field Foccacia, and everyone who tried it couldn't believe the flavour. Neither can I.

The stuff I got is Sel Marin de Guerande by a company called Le Paludier (Bretagne sud). Apologies for not being able to add the proper accents on the Es. The blurb on the back reads:" This sea salt from Guerande is hand collected according to an age-old ancestral method. Simply drawn and sun-dried, it is kept gray intentionally in order to preserve its clay particles and the smell and flavour of Dunalliella-Salina seaweed." And does it ever.

If you think salt is just salt, give this a try if you can get it. There's a reason they call it "Fruit de L'Ocean du Soleil et du vent." The 1 kg bag I bought cost $5.29 Canadian, and it's imported by La Maison Orphee, 1450 rue Provinciale, Quebec, GIN 4 A 2; Tel: 418-681-1530, Fax: 418-661-2203.

I won't go into the bouquet or lingering taste sensation a la wine writers .

Jim