Salt - The Essence of Life

September 27, 2006

9/22/06 Source: Crusador

Salt - The Essence of LifeHarvested from the sea or wrested from the earth, salt would appear to be one of the humblest commodities. Yet the sodium it contains is a life-sustaining element. Sodium chloride is essential in the nutrition and physiological processes of all animals including man. From long before the first written word, there are repeated references in records and stories to the importance of salt as an essential in the daily diet. Salt has not only ensured the survival of mankind, but coloured the species food, religions, politics and superstitions. In ancient times, because of its power to preserve and purify, salt was spilled upon legal documents to symbolise enduring agreement and freedom from deceit. Mans effort to obtain salt can be traced back through history for salt has always been essential to human life. Salt is more precious to men than gold. Ancient manuscripts tell us that more than 5000 years ago the Chinese obtained salt by boiling and evaporating the ash from seaweed. Later, people along the Mediterranean and Red Seas discovered that when seawater was evaporated by the sun, salt was left behind. This was the start of salt manufacture and the same method of Solar Evaporation is used today in the production of many salts around the world. Roman legionnaires who guarded the Via Solaria, one of the most famous military roads in history, received part of their pay in salt, their “salarium.” From this came the modern word "salary."To this day a good man is “worth his salt” and we take others’ dramatic pronouncements "with a pinch of salt."Many of salt’s applications, including salting of fish and meat to preserve it, have remained almost unchanged down through the millennia. Its place in our superstitions and sayings remains entrenched. Enshrined in the World’s many cultures and a vital part of global economies, salt is as essential to life as the air we breathe and the water we drink. Surely there can be no product purer, more natural or environmentally friendly than salt - pure sea water provided and evaporated by Nature, harvested to perfection by Man. Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt HistoryMaking salt in open pans is not new. In Mark Kurlansky’s recent book, Salt A World History, he suggests that in 450 B.C. A Chinese called Yi Duan “is believed to have made salt by boiling brine in iron pans, an innovation which would become one of the leading techniques for salt making for the next 2,000 years.” Rapid boiling is still used today but the open pans have been replaced by closed vessels, outputs have increased and the salt these plants produce has a uniform cubic crystal shape. How It Is MadeIn a move back to the open evaporating pans of the past, Dominion Salt has developed Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt. The raw material for this salt is seawater from the clear waters of the great southern oceans around New Zealand’s South Island. These waters are evaporated using the natural processes of sun and wind. From this, a salt brine is produced to feed the open evaporating pan for making flaky salt. The brine is slowly heated to the point where delicate pyramid shaped crystals of salt appear. These sea salt flakes are initially allowed to drip dry and finally warm air dried at low temperatures prior to packaging. The finished product is light, flaky sea salt! The evaporation process produces unique pyramid shaped crystals. See the picture attached! However, because the evaporation takes place in an open pan it does not produce crystals of uniform size. As there is no further processing carried out after drying, the resulting product will contain flake salt crystals varying in size and shape. This adds to the feel and taste sensations of Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt! No additives and Organic CertifiedThere are no chemical additives or processing aids used in Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt production and there is just one ingredient - seawater. The process fits in with organic principles and is Certified Organic by Bio-Gro New Zealand. What is different about Marlborough Flaky Salt!The great benefit of Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt is its light delicate taste and its adherence to food. In simple terms the salt “sticks” to food which makes it ideal for salting things like salads and even foods like French Fries! Use it in all types of cooking and for salting food after cooking. How to use it!Marlborough Flaky sea salt may be sprinkled on food by gently crushing between the fingers to the crystal size you require. Process and RequirementsTo produce salt using the natural process of evaporation, there are some fundamental requirements:

You need ready access to the essential ingredient - sea water - so a coastal location is critical, with strong currents sweeping between the deep clear waters of Cook Straight, ensuring the sea water used is of the highest quality.

Sun and warmth is good for salt production, just as it is for those other precious commodities, wine and olives;

Low rainfall;

Warm drying winds increase the evaporation rate and therefore the efficiency of the process.

Lake Grassmere where we produce our salt gets the big tick on all four - right beside the Pacific Ocean, with those drying Nor-Westers in summer, in an area noted for its high sunshine hours/low rainfall per annum and its warmth (and its wine and its olives). With more than 1800 hectares available, what a perfect location for producing salt from the sea. And now, capitalising on that stunning location and the quality of the raw product (the Pacific Ocean), We are producing a 100% natural sea salt. No additives, nothing but pure salt, tasting of the sea. The primary minerals present in sea water are sodium, calcium and magnesium - with the magnesium in particular contributing to the ‘salty’ taste of the sodium chloride. Some of the crystallizing ponds will, through the vagaries of nature, have a higher magnesium level than others. It is from these ponds, these best-tasting ponds, that Pacific Natural Sea Salt is harvested. The mineral content of Pacific Natural Salt reflects the mineral balance of the sea water from which it is derived. After the time of harvest, it is hand-picked and dried to remove excess moisture then this absolutely natural salt is crushed, either as fine or coarse crystals. It has not had its minerals washed out and you can see by its creamy crystals that it doesn’t have anything added to it. Interesting Facts About Salt and our Product• Our bodies contain almost 450gms of salt and each day we need to replenish the salt used by our bodies to maintain our normal health and vigour. Salt plays a big part in helping the body to digest foods and turn them into living tissues, as well as helping to transmit nerve impulses that contract the muscles. In order for the cells of the body to function normally, a salt/water balance must be maintained.• Pacific Natural Sea Salt tastes great. Minerals present naturally in salt from the sea as well as the crystal shape enhance its flavour therefore the salt can be used more sparingly. Pacific Natural Sea Salt is approved by BIO-GRO NZ (an IFOAM Accredited Certifier) for use in organic foodstuffs so Pacific Natural Salt can be used both for cooking or as a tasty substitute for your current table salt. If you are using coarse salt in a grinder ensure you use a quality salt grinder as natural salt is often slightly more difficult to grind due to its higher moisture content.• Pacific Natural Salt contains higher levels of Calcium and Magnesium than normal table salt, as these minerals are also naturally present in sea water. Some people believe that this balance of minerals has beneficial effects on the body. Certainly we believe these minerals help enhance the taste of Pacific Natural Salt - taste it and compare to your current salt. Features and Benefits of Flaky Salt• Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt is an evaporated sea salt that produces a unique three dimensional crystal, it is produced by being very slowly evaporated in an open pan, allowing the formation of very light sea salt flakes.• It is a very light textured salt with a delicate flavour. The taste is created by the unique crystal size and shape of Marlborough sea salt flakes.• Excellent for sprinkling on top of foods as its light texture means it "sticks" better - ideal in particular for salting salads and even french fries!• High surface area and low bulk density improve the product adherence. This makes it ideal for crushing between the fingers and spreading on food.• Crystal shape makes it very soluble, ideal for fast dissolving into water for pasta dishes or any dish where a solution needs to be made• Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt is approved organic by BIO-GRO (NZ). To order this one of a kind salt click the link below:http://www.healthliesexposed.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23 & products_id=131