Forget Maldon Salt: Trader Joe's Has You Covered For Cheaper

Maldon is the iconic finishing salt, loved by chefs and home cooks alike. Sprinkled on top of caramel brownies, chocolate chip cookies, steak, focaccia, and more, these giant, pyramid-shaped flakes of sea salt are made in the town of Maldon in Essex, England. Right now, Trader Joe's is offering a less expensive alternative to Maldon Sea Salt — Portuguese Flor de Sal. This salt is $4.99 for 5.11 ounces at Trader Joe's. For comparison, a 8.5-ounce box of of Maldon salt costs $10 at Walmart — 20 cents per ounce more expensive.

Gently hand-collected from a thin layer of salt that forms on top of the sea off the coast of Portugal, Trader Joe's limited edition Portuguese Flor de Sal ("salt flower") does the same thing as Maldon's signature salt but at a lower cost and in a different shape. Maldon salt has been harvested for millennia, and is prized for its large and flaky, pyramid-shape granules that give food a sharp salt flavor that dissolves on your tongue. While these Portuguese sea salt granules are not as large as Maldon, they have that crisp salt flavor that adds the perfect finish to steak and baked treats. One Redditor even called it "the best flaky salt I have ever used." 

Light with a crunchy texture, TJ's Portuguese Flor de Sal is a steal. Plus the beautiful packaging makes you want to showcase it, not hide it away. Not only are the white ceramic jar and its wide cork lid cute, they're also a major selling point, according to Reddit users. It's a good thing that salt never expires, so you can load up on this limited edition, giftable product before it leaves the shelves.

A Reddit user joked: "I don't care how it tastes, if they have any left I am buying it just for the cute jar. If it tastes good, well... bonus points." And it does taste good, so bonus points abound. After you finish the Portuguese sea salt, transform the keepsake ceramic jar into a salt crock with different salt (like the kosher salt Ina Garten uses in all her recipes), a garlic holder, or a paperclip or rubber band box. You could even make it candle if you pour in wax and a wick. Or you can just leave it empty and have it displayed as kitchen décor.

Apart from its usual uses, some people on Reddit report using it for the salt rim for margaritas. (Try this spicy margarita on the rocks recipe but dip the glass in this salt instead.) No matter how you use TJ's Portuguese Flor de Sal, though, you'll run through it quickly.