Salt: A World History

[Wifezilla]

I am currently reading "Salt: A world history" by Mark Kurlansky. VERY interesting and enlightening. It is amazing the role salt played in world history.

Along with the insights in to how empires were built, fortunes we made and lost, and how wars were lost due to salt or the lack thereof, this book contains clips and snippets from some very old cookbooks. I actually found some online!

http://www.manybooks.net/titles/eatonm2908429084-8.html
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22790

Salt preservation was a very important skill pre-refrigeration.

Might not hurt to relearn those skills again!

P.S. I keep a good supply of salt on hand, but after reading this book I suddenly feel the need to put up a LOT more!

"just as the elements of future prosperity; this vital food, almost as necessary to their economic independence as gunpowder has been to the national independence, is furnished exclusively by strangers, and is found in hands, which, in spite of all the dreams of perpetual peace, could easily some day become those of an enemy, and be made in to an instrument, if not of domination, at least of famine and internal trouble." - Geologie Pratique de la Louisiana, 1860

 

[Denim Deb]

I seem to recall hearing or reading that the Roman soldiers were paid in salt.

 

[JRmom]

I've been thinking about salt too, and stocking up.

I remember reading a book as a kid, an end-of-the-world type book where everything was destroyed, and finding a salt flat was a big big deal for the characters.

 

[Wifezilla]

Yes, part of the Roman soldier's pay was in salt.

I am to the part about early American History now. A lack of salt played a big part in the South losing the civil war.

Ah! Found another one...
http://www.archive.org/details/archivesofuseful03meas

This one I haven't found a free copy of, but it might be worth buying...
http://www.pulist.net/classic-russi...ovets-quota-gift-to-young-housewivesquot.html

 

[ORChick]

I seem to recall hearing or reading that the Roman soldiers were paid in salt.

The word *salary* is derived from the Latin word for salt.

 

[BeccaOH]

fascinating Now if I had time to read. . .

 

[Gardener77]

Someone once said a long time ago, "salt is good."

It wasn't until recently that salt got it's bad rap.

It's funny how backwards things can get. Especially when selfish gain is involved. - i.e. highly processed chemically laden white salt.

 

[Wannabefree]

I'm stocked on salt.

 

[FarmerJamie]

I seem to recall hearing or reading that the Roman soldiers were paid in salt.

The word *salary* is derived from the Latin word for salt.

Is that why when we go to work in corporate land, its "back to the salt mine"?

...disclaimer....I know it's because salt mining was one of the worse tasks a slave could be sent to do....well, maybe there's a connection....

 

[FarmerDenise]

I've been stocking up on salt. I figure prices are going to go up on everything and salt being so essential to life, I want to make sure I have plenty of it. Even Mortons iodized salt. I just buy some with every shopping trip, especially if there is a sale or I have coupons. I also make sure I get sea salt, pickling salt and other less processed salts.