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The Egyptians were probably the first to evaporate seawater methodically in order to extract salt, and the Phoenicians probably brought early salt-gathering technology to the Portuguese coast. The presence of Roman ruins in the Algarve suggests that the Romans produced salt there; certainly by the year 1000, the Algarve was sending salt to the rest of Europe. In the 15th and 16th centuries, salt helped Portugal to consolidate its position as a world power. Today, Da Morgada salt is collected by intensive labor, avoiding machinery, from the Atlantic Ocean. Collected between late June and late August in the Algarve at Tavira in the Ria Formosa Natural Reserve, this artisanal salt has among the best conditions for production. This area is free of pollution and has high evaporation rates due to the Southern European climate. Portuguese sea salt is low in moisture, clean and white, making it ideal as a table salt and for daily cooking.