Finishing Salts

Ordered a sampler of finishing salts from The Meadow. I like the idea of a sampler so I can
1 - see if this is just silly
2 - get a sense if a finishing salt can really make a difference in dishes.


Not only are they lovely to look at, they came with a very detailed description booklet that I've read and re-read and highlighted key topics for each salt. Hopefully, the highlighting will help make decisions when I get my nerve up to ruin enhance the flavor of my dishes.
As an aside, Good Eats last night was The Ballad of Salty and Sweet and AB profiled different finishing salts. I realize it's a trend, but I've always been a little fascinated by salt - I mean Romans were paid in the stuff for the love of Pete (who is Pete exactly, anyway?).

Salts in the sampler include:
Fleur de Sel de Guerande (France)
The Meadow Sel Gris (China)
Maldon (England)
Turkish Black Pyramid (unclear, the Mediterranean, but I'm assuming off the coast of Turkey somewhere)
Alaea Volcanic (Hawaii)
Kauai Guava Smoked (Hawaii)
(in spiffy new jars)


I think I would like to go to The Meadow in person - they specialize in salt - chocolate - wine - flowers. I think I could be happy there - not that I'm a huge chocolate fan, but perhaps I would enjoy it more if I got some REALLY good chocolate. Too bad The Meadow is in Portland Oregon - doesn't the Pacific Northwest have enough cool stuff that the rest of the country could just steal a few things from them? That said, The Meadow did send a piece of chocolate as a thank you - Santander Columbian single origin semi-dark chocolate 53% cacao. It's happily stored in the fridge - one day I may get around to trying it. I'll be going back to The Meadow.