Salt of the earth

On the origins, magic, and lore of the world’s most essential seasoning

The banner image of this blog is from a painting that captures an everyday moment from a commune, Salies-de-Béarn, in the southwest of France, named after its famed saltwater spring- ten times saltier than the sea.

Here, under the open sky, salt is still harvested in ways that have barely changed over centuries with thermal brine drawn from underground wells and slowly heated in large pans until delicate, mineral-rich crystals begin to form.

Though methods have evolved across time and geography, salt has shaped human history for millennia in ways we rarely consider. It built ancient trade routes, sparked wars, and even determined the location of entire cities.

It transcends class, culture, and time- so fundamental and unpretentious that it has been celebrated in art, poetry, and music. From The Rolling Stones’ Salt of the Earth to the centuries-old Telugu poem Uppu Kappurambu, salt has long been seen as something noble and true- earning its fitting title, white gold.

A Story in Every Grain

As simple as it seems, the salt in your pantry - whether a fleur de sel or a basic iodized shaker - has traveled an incredible geological journey to reach your plate.

No matter how refined or rustic, all salt ultimately comes from evaporated water sources or underground mineral deposits.

Fleur de sel and flaky Maldon? Harvested from seawater, carefully raked by hand. Himalayan pink salt? Mined from deep inside mountains, left behind by prehistoric oceans.

Even the everyday table salt in your shaker is just rock salt - pulverized, purified, and often fortified. In some places, salt is drawn from underground brine springs, where mineral-rich waters emerge from deep beneath the earth, carrying echoes of ancient seas.

And because salt absorbs its surroundings, no two salts taste exactly the same. A sprinkle of fleur de sel carries whispers of the sea, while black salt from India brings an unexpected sulfurous funk.

Salt Origins: From Deep Earth to Your Kitchen 

🧂 Ancient Seabeds (Rock Salt Mining) – Millions of years ago, prehistoric oceans dried up, leaving behind vast underground salt deposits. Some of the world’s most famous rock salts—like Himalayan pink salt—are chiseled or blasted out of the earth, much like coal or gemstones. Fun fact: Detroit sits on a massive underground salt mine! 

🌊 Oceans & Seas (Sea Salt Harvesting) – Salt farmers have long relied on the sun and wind to evaporate seawater, leaving behind delicate salt crystals. Some, like fleur de sel, must be carefully hand-harvested before they sink back into the brine. 

🏜️ Salt Flats & Salt Pans – When ancient lakes and seas dry up completely, they leave behind glittering landscapes of pure salt. Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, is so reflective after rain that it becomes a giant natural mirror. 

💦 Salty Springs & Wells (Brine Extraction) – In some places, natural underground brine seeps to the surface. For thousands of years, people have boiled it down to extract salt—a technique used as far back as 6,000 BCE in China. 

🌬️ Atmospheric Salt (Sea Spray & Windborne Particles) – Every crashing wave lifts tiny salt particles into the air, which eventually settle onto land. While we don’t harvest (unless you count licking your lips at the beach), certain coastal plants naturally absorb it, giving them a briny taste. 

Salt is everywhere - beneath our feet, in the air, in ancient lakes, and in every kitchen across the world. But it is also more than just geography. It is time itself, locking in the minerals of the waters it came from, shaped by the land and labor that brought it to our plates.

Salt - A Central Ritual, Inside and Outside the Kitchen

In South Indian homes, salt isn’t just a seasoning - it’s a ritual. A spoonful of pickle, a sun-dried curd chili crackling in hot ghee, or crisp vadiyams frying up golden-brown - all are carriers of that deep, satisfying hit of salt.

And in my own home, my mom refuses to pass the salt container directly to my hand - because, as tradition warns, it leads to fights!

Beyond the kitchen, salt has long been a symbol of protection and power. In India, as in many cultures, it’s believed to ward off the evil eye, cleanse energies, and even play a role in fertility rites - some of which are, let’s just say, rather salacious.

Ancient Romans, for example, associated salt with Venus, the goddess of love and fertility, and believed it could enhance passion. In certain European traditions, newlyweds were once sprinkled with salt to ensure a fruitful marriage.

Meanwhile, in some African and Caribbean spiritual practices, salt has been used in intimate rituals to bind lovers together - or, conversely, to sever ties when relationships soured.

Jews and Muslims have long-standing traditions of using salt to guard against misfortune, and in India, salt appears in rituals like nazar nikalna - where a mix of salt, chilies, and lemon is believed to draw out negative energies. And In Germany, salt is still considered a housewarming gift, a symbol of prosperity and well-being.

This, week we’d love for you to take a moment to explore your pantry and check where your salt comes from. Himalayan pink? Sea salt? A classic iodized shaker?

Every grain has a story. Where do you think yours has traveled from? What meanings have you heard others attach to salt? Tell us below!