Salt, everyone knows what it is, but who knows its history?

The salt, curiosities and characteristics

The salt, more precisely the salt cooking, is a very famous condiment that falls within the world culinary culture, and is composed almost exclusively of sodium chloride.
As a rule, the salt it is found in a solid, colorless and practically odorless state, but gives a very pungent and important flavor. In the Italian peninsula, it is sold as:
• salt Big;
• salt Until;
• salt Marine;
• Rock salt.
Basically, the salt derives from the solar evaporation process of sea water, formed by chlorides, calcium, magnesium, sodium sulphates, potassium etc.

The salt, an ancient history.

By now 10 000 years ago, prehistoric men became sedentary, so they stopped eating only fruits and began to cultivate and raise animals and then just feed. Once stopped, the man was faced with a great dilemma, namely that of preserving meat effectively, and here comes the salt.
In fact, most likely the peoples who had settled in maritime areas were the first to discover that the salt left by the sea could be used in a functional way in the conservation of both skins and meats, and in addition to this, it also made the consumption of these dishes more pleasant and flavorful.

This discovery was quickly spread among the different populations of the globe, so much so that soon everyone managed to preserve the meat of the animals hunted using the salt, even those who lived in places very far from the sea.
Those who did not possess this precious ingredient had to go and buy it from those who could extract it from deposits, exchanging meat, skin, wheat or even slaves in exchange for salt. By doing so, the trade in salt, until the birth of real conflicts caused by the increase in the price of the latter.

Even in the Bible, there is talk of the salt, in the Old and New Testament more precisely, a symbol of the union between man and God. This idea is also confirmed in the ancient rites of baptism, in which, entering the Catholic community is made to taste the salt. This ingredient can also be found as a symbol of friendship in many other religious cultures.
The salt it became so important that it came to constitute compensation in exchange for work, which is why we still talk about today wage.

The rulers who ruled an area from which it could be extracted salt they were thought to be extremely lucky and wealthy. The papacy also had its own extraction area of salt, to the salt pans of Ostia and Cervia. Obviously, once it has become such an essential commodity, the salt, was involved in the tax system, which weighed on the lower classes. In fact, for this very reason, numerous protest movements arose on the price of salt, or who demanded the abolition of taxes on the salt, as in India and Canada.

The tax on the salt it was abolished only in 1825, but only for that used for industrial purposes. Indeed, this salt it was combined with a poisonous substance to ensure that this low-priced type was not used for food purposes.

The salt in industry

What is the salt industrial? There are several uses of this ingredient such as:
• For making soda;
• To disinfect the waters;
• For the production of solvents;
• To make hard waters sweeter;
• For the creation of dyes.
There are many industrial substances that are developed through the use of salt, but very often we don't even realize it.

A few numbers

Around 290 million tons of salt are produced internationally per year. The main protagonists of this production are:
1. China, with 63 million tons per year;
2. United States, with 44 million tons per year;
3. India with 26 million tons per year.

We, in Italy, produce about 30 million tons of salt.
Most of the world extraction of salt it derives from superficial or underground sediments, but in any case, the main source is always the sea. In fact, many parts of sea water have been submerged by the containment earth, therefore they are found under the emerged lands.
The salt through mines or by injection of water which dilutes a part of salt going to produce a concentrated saline solution called, brine, which is then pumped to the surface. Afterwards, the brine is processed and treated until the salt.

A high method of obtaining the salt it takes place through solar evaporation, that is, the sea water is inserted into shallow pools called saline. Through the heat of the sun the water evaporates and the salt remains deposited on the bottom.
In Italy this technique is exploited in Sardinia, Puglia and Sicily, but also through underground mines in Sicily, and through underground brine in Tuscany.

salt and power

In the diet of all human beings it is necessary to insert approximately 2 grams per day, which represents more or less 700 grams per year, normally used to cook or season dishes and give food more flavor and taste.
Not only humans, but the animal kingdom also needs to ingest salt. In fact, about 30 million salt a year are used in livestock feed and about 20, are used in the agri-food industry, for the creation of: preserved meats and fish, stock cubes, cured meats (you are passionate about cured meats ? Discover the history of salami, its origins, combinations and production, read here), cheeses and much more.
On Foodaloo you will find a particular salt that is Salt coarse with bergamot from Calabria, from the Sapori di Regalpetra company, use it to give a special touch to your dishes, find out here!