A savoury, umami

What is it? West of Dingle Black Garlic Sea Salt (€8).

Who makes it? Husband and wife Brian Farrell, a chef, and Marie Holden, a potter, make it by hand near Dingle, Co Kerry.

What’s good about it? It is a naturally produced sea salt product that takes 12 weeks to make by hand. The process starts when the garlic undergoes a 10-week fermentation, turning from white to black. The cloves are then peeled and made into a paste, then dehydrated and blended into a fine powder that is mixed with the salt that Farrell and Holden produce. They collect seawater to make their salt from a cove only accessible by foot, Cuas na nEighe, the most westerly point in Ireland.

West of Dingle natural sea salt range, now including black garlic sea salt.

How do I use it? It adds a savoury, umami-rich flavour, along with saltiness, wherever required, but would be particularly good with grilled meats and eggs,

Where can I buy it? Because it is only made in small batches, it is currently only available online from westofdingle.ie or from Ventry PO Siopa Uí Lúing in Dingle. However, there are four other seas salts in the range – Lemon & Rosemary Sea Salt, Smokehouse Rub Sea Salt, Whiskey Smoked Sea Salt and Natural Sea Salt – that are widely stocked by speciality food stores including Lotts & Co., Indie Fude, Ardkeen Quality Food Store, Kate’s Kitchen Sligo, The Fumbally Café and Avoca.

Anything else? The packaging is plastic-free.

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