History of salt, the white gold between cooking, trade and superstition

The history of man and the history of salt have always been linked by a single red thread. Salt has dominated the lives of people around the world for thousands of years from an economic, nutritional, social and even popular belief point of view. Let's discover together how salt crystals have crossed the history of humanity since the Neolithic.

History of salt: common uses from ancient times to today

With the first settlements of hunters and farmers, the need to preserve food for long periods arose. In this period, it was discovered that it was possible to preserve food in salt, depriving it of hydration and allowing it to be consumed at different times than immediately. In fact, since the Neolithic, we have evidence of how the preservation of food in salt was in use to allow its long conservation.

Preserving food in salt is a practice that has continued to the present day, especially when it comes to preserving fish. In the past, this method was also used for meat and other perishable animal foods.

In the history of salt, its use as a seasoning came only later, as a consequence of the experience of preserving foods in salt. When people began to appreciate the flavor that salt gave to preserved foods, it began to enter the human diet also as a flavoring.

Other household uses date back to more modern times, such as cooking with salt or the use of salt as an ally of beauty.

Trade and money: history of salt over the centuries between wealth, trade routes and monopolies

Thanks to its preservative properties, salt became a basic necessity since the first centuries of human history. Peoples of all latitudes attempted to best secure the production of these white crystals (through the extraction of rock salt or the crystallization of water inside salt pans).

The testimonies of ancient Rome report the use of salt as an indispensable resource for trade by sea and by land. Precisely because of the possibility of preserving food in salt, the demand for salt progressively increased to levels never seen before at that time. Thanks to salt, Rome became greatly enriched and to improve trade connections between the parts of the empire, numerous communication routes were built (including the renowned Via Salaria, which takes its name from the salt trade in vogue at that time).

Salt was considered such a precious commodity that the Romans decided to combine the legionaries' pay in money with a quantity of salt as a reward for the work carried out in military campaigns. From this ancient practice comes the word salary, to indicate the compensation that is periodically received in exchange for one's work.

Caravans and ships loaded with salt have continued to sail the seas and travel the roads of the world for many centuries, from Russia to China to America. These white crystals have become so important over the centuries that they have supported entire commercial empires, but also started wars. For this reason, salt was often subject to special taxes, or subjected to a state monopoly together with other specific trades to limit the increase in prices.

Religion: the ancient rites of salt

The use of salt has not only been important in the economic sphere but also in mythology and religion. Homer defined it as a divine substance, while for Plato salt was dear to the gods. The Egyptians used it in the mummification process, while for the Maya it was a medicine. The ancient Greeks and Jews used salt during sacrifices, just as inside Roman temples the vestals prepared a brine to salt the sacrificial millstone, since salt was considered a symbol of incarnation and perpetuity for its purifying power.

Superstition! Does salt bring good luck or bad luck?

The history of salt has also been enriched by popular beliefs over the centuries. So widespread in homes, it was often considered a talisman capable of instilling good luck or bringing misfortune. In fact, there are conflicting interpretations of the esoteric link between salt and luck.

Some traditions say that dropping salt on the ground is a vehicle of bad luck for the family, just like a black cat or a broken mirror. To remedy these accidents, tradition dictated that a handful of the spilled salt should be taken and thrown over one's shoulder, in an attempt to stop the bad luck that would soon occur.

For others, however, salt served as an antidote against misfortune or envy, and was sprinkled around houses or on large oil stains caused by accidental spills of the product (this too was considered a sign of bad luck).