Salt has ancient origins and characterizes the history of the Mediterranean people. Precious, considered more precious than gold, has travelled along “the streets of Salt” for centuries. Via Salaria in Rome was the most famous of the “streets of Salt”, which developed throughout Europe becoming often the roads used by pilgrims to reach the most important shrines.
Today the salt, coarse or not, is often replaced by the pink salt from Tibet, red Hawaiian salt, blue salt from Iran and many others that we will discover.
Hawaii gives us two types of salt: the black , highly aromatic, and the red salt “Alea Rouge” (more commonly called the Salt of Hawaii), that the natives of the island used to flavor meat based dishes or grilled fish. The red salt was also used as purifying element and to store food for as long as possible.
Hawaii gives us two types of salt: the black , highly aromatic, and the red salt “Alea Rouge” (more commonly called the Salt of Hawaii), that the natives of the island used to flavor meat based dishes or grilled fish. The red salt was also used as purifying element and to store food for as long as possible.
Rich in minerals and especially iron (5 times higher than normal sea salt) is considered today also great for treating anemia. It is also appreciated for its exfoliating and detoxifying characteristics.
The Salt of Hawaii owes its red color to the clay of volcanic origin. During evaporation the clay enriches the salt with iron giving the unusual red color. And it is the red colour that is particularly appreciated in the “gourmet kitchens” (think of the decoration of dishes).
It is always good to remember that too much salt is not good as it favors the onset of hypertension. No only. It is also important to consider that the salt needed by our body is already contained in food in its natural state.
“Alaea salt has a special place at the “luau” table, great feasts where Hawaiians and their guests enjoy traditional dishes like “kalua pork” — a whole pig roasted over hot stones for hours underground, and “poi” — the purple mashed tuber of the taro plant. A popular appetizer is “poke”, made with small cubes of raw fish mixed with various seasonings like edible seaweed, green onion, and ground nuts of the kukui tree. A bit of ‘alaea salt is used to season all these dishes at the table, and Hawaiians are particularly fond of eating slices of sweet, raw onion dipped in the reddish salt”.
Dana Kokubun from Hawaii
