Salt Making From Past to Present
Salt was a limited good in Iceland imported from various countries in Europe. Eventually, the Danish King decided that it was time for the Icelanders to make their own salt. In collaboration with Danish saltmakers, an Icelandic method was developed which combined traditional craft with geothermal energy. The method was first tried out in Reykhólar in 1753 and showed that salt making would be possible using this technique. Salt making was active for several years in the West Fjords but due to challenges and instability in the process the trade slowly faded away.
In 2012, out of a passion for food and a love for the Icelandic nature, we decided to revive the tradition of salt-making. We use the same geothermal method as first carried out in the 1750s. If you want to read more about the Icelandic-Danish history of salt making follow our quest for a 230-year old Danish grant.
The Best Arctic Sea Salt Flakes in the World
We want to make the best sea salt flakes in the world! This is our commitment to ourselves and to our surrounding community. We aim to reach this goal through a combination of quality, sustainability and design.
To us, quality is achieved through several factors. Located right by the Arctic sea we have access to some of the cleanest waters on Earth. We thus get pure, clean salt flakes that are high in trace minerals and low in sodium. The unique seawater of Breiðafjörður is clearly distinguishable in the mineral taste of our salt that also carries a slight touch of seaweed.
Making flaky sea salt is an art form and there is no simple, pre-given recipe. It is passion, hard work, intuition and an eye for the small details. Through our process of hand-harvesting we ensure the right texture and crispiness of the salt flakes. Texture is highly linked to the concept of usability. It may sound trivial but to us it is essential to get the size and texture of the flakes just right. Our salt flakes are easy to work with and the soft and crispy flakes also mix better with your food. This gives a different and enhanced taste experience that we hope you will enjoy as much as we do.
Sustainability at the Core
We believe in transparent, natural, high-quality food production with no or minimal impact on the environment. To make Norður Salt we only use geothermal energy causing a minimum of carbon dioxide emissions. All the energy used for evaporating and drying salt comes from the local hot spring in Reykhólar. Our commitment to sustainability is also why we received the Icelandic Tún Certification for our sustainable and environmentally responsible production methods.
"We want to change your food experience, one salt flake at a time"
Søren Rosenkilde
CEO-founder – Nordur salt
