Build a Better Pyramid

I can't remember the last time I was so excited by salt. Salt comes in many forms and from many sources, and I will blog more on that soon. But let me just share with you one salt I have discovered that is a delight to eat and a wonder to behold.

This salt is made with painstaking care on the Indonesian island of Bali and is distributed by Big Tree Farms. I have seen it for sale in such stores as Whole Foods, Dean and Deluca and Kalustyan's. By harnessing sea breezes and tropical sunshine when conditions are just right, Balinese salt farmers create delicate crystals in the shape of hollow pyramids. To achieve this result, the salt must be dissolved and re-crystallized multiple times.

The crystals break crisply in your mouth when you bite down on them, and impart a delicious briny taste. As can be seen clearly in this close-up, geometry can be a thing of beauty. The ancient Egyptians were on to something.