Salt from Maras

How to Incorporate Maras Salt into Your Cooking?

Maras salt pairs perfectly with fish dishes, shrimp, avocado salad, or fresh grapefruit. It can also be sprinkled on shortbread, chocolate desserts, or vegetable tarts. This Peruvian salt is perfect for everyday meals.

Recipe Ideas for Using Maras Salt

• - Maras Salt Steak: Season a beef steak with Maras salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill or pan-fry to your desired doneness. Serve with simple sides like grilled vegetables or a green salad;
• - Grilled Salmon with Maras Salt and Herbs: Sprinkle salmon fillets with Maras salt, pepper, minced garlic, and fresh herbs (dill, parsley). Grill or bake until the salmon is tender and cooked through. Serve with wild rice and a lemon sauce;
• - Maras Salt Guacamole: Mash ripe avocados with lime juice, chopped cilantro, minced red onion, and a pinch of Maras salt. Serve with tortilla chips or raw vegetables;
• - Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maras Salt: Cut sweet potatoes into cubes or fries. Toss with olive oil, Maras salt, black pepper, and fresh rosemary. Spread on a baking sheet and roast until tender and slightly caramelized.

The Aromas of Maras Salt

Maras salt is renowned for its delicate and subtle aromas, giving it a unique flavor. Its fine, crystalline texture enhances dishes by adding complexity without being overly salty.

A Salt from the Urubamba Valley

The Maras salt ponds are located in the Urubamba Valley. They consist of 3,600 terraced basins. Functioning like salt marshes, the evaporation of salty water produces the salt. The ponds are operated by an association of 300 Maras families. The basins ("pozos") are passed down from generation to generation, with each family owning 5 to 10 basins. Maras salt is harvested during the dry season, in May and June. Approximately 3,000 tons of salt are produced annually on the Maras mountainsides.

The Origin of the Maras Salt Ponds

The Maras salt ponds in Peru have been exploited since around 1450. The salt ponds date back to the pre-Inca period. Over ten million years ago, an inland sea covered the Andes mountain range. With plate tectonics, the water receded, and the mountains emerged. This led to the formation of Lake Titicaca and the Maras salt ponds.