Mallorca, with a pinch of salt

This is definitely an excursion worth making. The shop and the saltworks are both wonderful to see, but what fascinates me most is how simple the whole process is.

Salinas de Levante was founded here in 1958. In 2003, Flor de Sal was harvested and sold at the saltworks for the first time under the Flor de Sal d'Es Trenc name.

Seawater travels through channels and larger pools, becoming more concentrated along the way. In summer, delicate salt crystals form on the surface of the shallow harvesting pools. The salineros skim them off by hand, then the Flor de Sal is dried in the sun and packed. The natural version is not refined or altered between harvesting and packing.

You can book a tour to see the salt pans and learn how the harvest works. For me, watching something so useful emerge from seawater, sun, wind and patient work is both completely natural and strangely fascinating.

The shop also shows playful ways to use the different salts. My favourite is chocolate ice cream with orange Flor de Sal and a small drizzle of olive oil. Beside the shop there is a simple sitting area where you can stop and enjoy exactly that. It is also where I took the photograph for this story.

If you do not make the excursion, there are two central Palma shops, one on Plaça de Cort and one inside Mercat de l'Olivar. But seeing the salt pans makes the little jar you bring home feel different. The process is natural, uncomplicated and quite extraordinary to witness.