I know that to most salt is a plain white thing which is not meant to have much variation.
However, venturing in the world of salt is a journey that I promise you will not be able to forget. Salt through some complex chemistry can dramatically alter the way we perceive food.
The various types of salt are typically really difficult to find or grossly overpriced. We wish to change that by allowing salt producers to reach their target market through Farmnetz.
1 – What is salt ?
All through history, the availability of salt has been pivotal to civilization. So important that what is now thought to have been the first city in Europe is Solnitsata, in Bulgaria, which was a salt mine, providing the area now known as the Balkans with salt since 5400 BC. Even the name Solnitsata means “salt works”.
With the spread of civilization, salt became one of the world’s main trading commodities. It was of high value to the ancient Hebrews, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Hittites and other peoples of antiquity. In the Middle East, salt was used to ceremonially seal an agreement, and the ancient Hebrews made a “covenant of salt” with God and sprinkled salt on their offerings to show their trust in him.
Another testimony of the importance of salt is in the ancient practice in time of war was of salting the earth: scattering salt around in a defeated city to prevent plant growth.
So important was salt that wars have been waged over it. In fact, the word salary comes from the Latin word for salt. The reason for this is unknown; a persistent modern claim is that the Roman Legions were sometimes paid in salt.
2 – Eating salt
Salt is essential to the health of humans and other animals, and it is one of the five basic taste sensations. While recent medical literature has focused on the connection between salt and hypertension, it is important to note that not all salt are made equal and contain the same amount of sodium.
Salt is something so common that we don’t even need to think about it.
We eat it with everything and is a cornerstone of every cuisine. Do you know that the word “Salad” actually come from the ancient Roman practice of salting leaf vegetables?
As mentioned, salts are not all made equal and have diverse mineralities depending on their source, giving each one a unique flavor.
Salt is also essential as it helps to preserver food. Before the advent of electrically powered refrigeration, salting was one of the main methods of food preservation.
Lastly, salt enhance flavors, salt taste is detected by sodium taste receptors present in taste bud cells on the tongue.
Indeed, molecules such as salt can influence flavor in many ways, contributing to the whole flavor we experience with food.
3 – How many type of salt are there ?
A lot, this is not by all means an exhaustive list.
- Table salt
- Kosher salt
- Sea salt
- Fleur de sel
- Gray salt
- Pink salt
- Himalayan black salt
- Hawaiian lava salt
- Cyprus black lava salt
- Truffle salt
- Bamboo salt
You can find more about other incredible products by following our Blog. Farmnetz mission is to help producers of any scale reach their markets.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK50958/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#Edible_salt
https://www.foodrepublic.com/2018/07/30/a-handy-guide-to-the-many-different-types-of-salt/
