Three small buildings in the middle of the deepest wasteland of Reykjane. The fjord is not far away. The salt that is mined in the Saltverk there is extremely high quality. Firstly, because it comes directly from the crystal clear sea water. On the other hand, because it does not require any major processing processes. This drives its price to incredible heights. If you want it, you have to pay around 30 times as much as for conventional table salt.
Salt production has a long tradition in Iceland. As early as the 18th century, a Danish king built his first production facility in the island’s Westfjords. The salt was primarily used to preserve food, fish and meat. At times, salt was also an important trading currency. Production soon stopped again.
It wasn’t until 2011, around two centuries later, that salt production in Iceland experienced a revival when engineer Björn Steinar Jónsson opened the Saltverk in Djúpvegur. Jónsson is a proud Icelander. He was looking for a way to promote the Icelandic culture and cuisine. His company should be sustainable and connected to old craft traditions. In Reykjanes in the Westfjords he found what he was looking for. A place rich in natural resources and where salt was previously mined.
The work there involves only minimal technical use and according to old craft traditions. However, one thing differs significantly from earlier times: the salt works is operated solely by geothermal energy. “Everything is powered by water from the local hot springs,” explains Peter Stakic from Saltverk to Business Insider. “It’s as sustainable as it gets.”
After the salt is pumped directly from the fjord, it is heated. The company uses water from a hot spring as an energy source. The salt content increases. The salt water evaporates and salt crystals form. These gradually settle on the ground and are skimmed off and dried by hand. That’s it.
Actually, says Peter Stakic, Iceland is not a place for salt production. The humidity in the summer makes the work more difficult because the water evaporates more slowly. “We get better results in winter,” he explains to “Business Insider”. Depending on the season and weather, it takes seven to ten days until the salt is ready for sale. Ten tons are produced annually.
Iceland’s top chefs were quickly convinced by the high-quality natural salt – they are not the only ones. It didn’t take long for word to spread about the Icelandic, delicately flaky sea salt. The salt from the small factory is now sold worldwide. Jónsson explains to the “Tasting Table” the success story of his salt through taste. Some chefs say that it is almost umami. The term comes from Japanese and adds spicy to the flavors sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
Saltverk is now no longer the only production site in Iceland dedicated to salt production. Other resourceful entrepreneurs quickly discovered that there was money to be made from the island’s salt. Jónsson already faced competition in 2012. Also in the Westfjords is Norður
Sources: Saltworks, Business Insider, Tasting Table
