Sal de Rio Maior /Flor de Sal de Rio Maior

Description: Sal de Rio Maior / Flor de Sal de Rio Maior is the salt of artisanal saline source, obtained from the natural process of precipitation, of evaporated underground saline water, consisting of water, chloride sodium and other mineral salts and trace elements, exclusively from that water. It is a hand-harvested salt, unrefined, not washed after harvest and without additives.
Depending on the formation conditions and the harvesting method, the Rio Maior salt is presented as:

Sal de Rio Maior
It is a solid, colorless, transparent body with a characteristic salty taste. It is presented in the form of cubic crystals, of variable dimensions, which are grouped and take the form of an inverted pyramid, extracted from the water in the salt cuttings during the crystallization of salt.

Flor de Sal de Rio Maior
It is a thin film that forms on the water surface of crystallizers, being the first product to be formed as soon as the water reaches the saturation necessary for the start of crystallization. It consists of small crystals arranged in small sheets formed during the precipitation of the salts, which float on the surface of the crystallizer.

The Sal de Rio Maior is presented on the market as it is or ground, and both the Sal de Rio Maior and the «Flor de Sal de Rio Maior» can be flavored with mixtures of spices and / or aromatic herbs.

Production method: The Flor de Sal de Rio Maior is the first product to form, once the water reaches the saturation necessary for the start of crystallization. The «Sal de Rio Maior» deposited at the bottom of the beds is shaved with the aid of shovels and is placed on a pyramid-shaped pile on the threshing floors, small platforms installed next to the walls, where it is left to dry.

Special features: The quality of Sal de Rio Maior / Flor de Sal de Rio Maior is due exclusively to the natural and human factors of the defined geographical area.
Produced in the salt flats of Rio Maior, the Salt of Rio Maior / Flor de Sal de Rio Maior has specific characteristics, resulting from its location and surroundings.
The Sal de Rio Maior / Flor de Sal de Rio Maior consists of 97 to 99% sodium chloride, magnesium <0.02% and selenium <0.1 mg / kg.

Geographical area: The Natural Salinas of Rio Maior are located at the foot of the Serra dos Candeeiros in the heart of Rio Maior, with the geographic coordinates of the center of the saline area, N 390 21 '15' 'and W 80 53' 45 '' approximately.

History: The salt flats in Rio Maior have eight centuries of history, dating back to the exploration of salt flats in the last quarter of the century XII, with the geomorphological characteristics of the surrounding region, with particular emphasis on the Estremenho limestone massif and its underground hydrological complex, one of the conditions for the type of salt exploration that has been carried out for centuries in this location.

Product specifications (pdf)

Producer group
Cooperativa Agrícola dos Produtores de Sal de Rio Maior, CRL.

Control and certification body
CODIMACO – Certificação e Qualidade, Lda.

Control plan
Control plan (pdf)

Publication in the Portuguese official journal
Despacho n.º 2010/2020, DR 2ª série de 11.02.2020