His grandmother was a salt trader here in Klungkung Province. The region lies roughly halfway between the favored holiday resorts of Sanur and Candidasa on the eastern coast of the island.
Salt was once called “white gold” – so useful and wanted was the crystalline solid.
Currently, this spice is generally produced on an industrial scale – it is usually a lower quality product and consists of 100% sodium chloride.
Not all salt is similar: chemically purified and refined salt is a mass-produced product used mainly in industry. Only a small a part of world production is meant for human consumption.
This table salt is most frequently sold enriched with quite a few additives, resembling anti-caking agents, a few of that are controversial.
In the case of the Warta River, on a small scale, dried, mineral-rich and currently salty sand is loaded right into a large funnel that’s stuffed with sea water. This slowly seeps through the sand, which acts as a filter.
You can do without gold, but not without salt
This enriches the water with further minerals before it’s collected in a big container.
In the nineteenth century, the German chemist Justus Liebig said: “Salt is probably the most precious of all of the gems that the earth gives us.”
Or more simply: “You can do without gold, but not without salt,” because the late ancient Roman statesman Cassiodorus put it. Salt is crucial for human life.
Sodium and chloride are essential to keep up various cell and body functions. For example, minerals are involved in regulating water balance and blood pressure.
Sodium can also be vital for muscle functioning, while chloride in the shape of hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a component of gastric juice, which, in accordance with nutritionists, supports digestion and protects us against pathogens.
However, anyone who consistently consumes an excessive amount of salt risks damaging their health, and doctors have warned of the chance of developing hypertension. Arterial hypertension is probably the most vital risk aspects for cardiovascular diseases.
Unlike refined salt, natural sea salt still accommodates other minerals and trace elements from the seawater on account of the residual moisture.
Despite this, it will not be significantly healthier and, in accordance with research, it needs to be consumed sparsely. However, it’s devoid of additives, has a thicker consistency and in addition tastes a lot better – milder, more harmonious and more subtle.
In Bali, filtered salt water is currently filled into halved and hollowed out tree trunks. Now we want the sun. When it shines, the water evaporates inside two days, leaving snow-white sea salt enriched with minerals, which Warta skillfully scrapes off with a coconut shell.
Remaining moisture can escape from breathable containers fabricated from palm leaves.
“We produce 10 to fifteen kilograms every two days, however it obviously is dependent upon the weather,” says Warta.
Salt cultivation in Bali is simply possible throughout the dry season, from mid-February to the tip of October.
Organic natural sea salt is sold at local markets and directly on site.
But salt farmers do not get wealthy from this physically demanding and time-consuming business: a 300-gram package costs 30,000 Indonesian rupiah, or just below $1.91.
