The coastal town of Maldon, Essex, has been the center of a salt producing area since the middle ages, although legend has it that the secret of salt-making from sea water was discovered here over 2,000 years ago when the Romans ruled Britain. The Maldon Crystal Salt Company is still a small family concern, operating from a riverside site it has occupied for more than a hundred years and continues to develop the traditional saltmaker's craft to produce the soft, white, flaky crystals unique to this area.
The pyramid-shaped salt crystals, characteristic of Maldon Salt, are fragile enough to crumble easily between the fingers and have a totally different taste from the regular grains of table salt. It is an interesting exercise to taste common salt alongside Maldon Salt. The common salt sits uncomfortably on the tongue and has an underlying bitterness. Maldon Salt is milder, has the flavor of sea spray, and is free from the chemical tang of common salt. Unlike most salts containing additives to stop them from caking in damp weather, Maldon Salt is a completely natural product, retaining valuable seawater trace-elements.
Delia Smith recently included Maldon Salt among her 'essential ingredients', and judging by the recommendations found in the books of some of England's best known chefs from Jamie Oliver to Nigella Lawson, she is in good company.