Tears are also salted

2003/09/28 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Osasuna
• Geologia

His best friend, no doubt, was honey, and he liked it, but what he really liked was his vital joy, which had salt and pepper. Beside him seemed arrows, the salt was missing.

Eyes, like sea fish, in saltwater.

It is clear that it is advisable to have some salt in life. Moreover, we cannot live without salt. In addition to being an exponent of vital joy, it is also essential in the biochemical functions of the body. Without salt we cannot live either animals or plants. That's why salt is important!

It is clear that it is necessary for the body, but today we not only use salt to survive, but it is essential to get many products in the chemical industry and is also used to prevent freezing water or snow on roads, among others. And to preserve food? Salting food is an old technique!

Food preserves

Food corrupts by the action of bacteria. However, bacteria often have jobs to live and reproduce in salts, which dry up inside these organisms and therefore kill them. Therefore, foods rubbed with salt or cutlery remain longer without rotting.

In cold climate territories, for example, it is necessary to preserve the harvest, hunting or fishing collected in temperate seasons, so that in cold and dark winter they can eat. At present, food is introduced into the fridge so as not to rot, but when there were no, salted to avoid losing food, transformed with yeast, smoked, dried or put in oil, among others.

Salt can generate spectacular landscapes.

We owe in large measure to these techniques of conservation of the variety of foods that we have today: different types of cheese, bread, yogurt, bonito in oil, smoked salmon, dried figs, peppers in vinegar... Many foods have created the need to conserve food. Throughout the world, every village has followed the local tradition and customs have emerged that make us strangers to the Basques. In northern European countries, for example, butter is covered with salt. So!

But, without going too far, we will surely find people who believe that anchovies are themselves salty, and let's not say cod.

Food conservation has resulted in sweeter meals. But not only is it added to the food to preserve the salt, but a little salt improves the taste of almost any dish. Salt is able to enhance the flavors. That is why it is used both in the food industry. Precooked dishes and snacks contain large amounts of salt, as people are attracted to this type of flavor. But beware, industrial food has more salt than home food. And as is known, salt consumption must be moderated.

Luxury product

Until recently people were not afraid to eat too much salt. It was a luxury product. In times of the Roman Empire, for example, soldiers received part of their salaries, called salarium argentum. And in many markets it was usual to replace money with salt.

Salt is obtained by evaporation of salt water in the eras.

Given the value of salt, it is not surprising that you want to control the saline market. Therefore, many peoples tried to achieve the monopoly of salt. Venice is known for the commercialization of exquisite fabrics and spices, but the local authorities also made the treasure with salt, controlled the saltworks of the area and forced ships carrying salt along the Adriatic to enter the Venice pier to pay the tax.

Being such a scarce and necessary product, the salt tax was a safe source of income for local governments, so governments tried to control the internal salt market. BC. XX. By the century, in China there was such a tax. Since then I do not know how many wars and other wars have taken place, raising the price of the salt that the humble people need.

Source of revolutions

But the authorities did not always benefit from the salt tax. One of the incentives of the French Revolution was the salt tax, known as the gabelle. Gandhi also made a famous protest because the British banned Indians from producing salt, so they were forced to buy it at a price determined by the British. To combat it, the best known pacifist made a tour of almost four hundred kilometers through the marine waters of Arabia. Along the way 240 thousand people joined Gandhi.

In the sumo salt is used in the ritual before each fight.

Throughout history salt has played a significant role and not just as food. It is said to have cleanliness, so it is used in many rituals. Thus, the fighters of the Sugo throw salt on the sand following the ancient ritual that is done before the combat, and the salt on the altar is habitual in the masses of many religions.

I think knowing all this is difficult to see the common salt of the kitchen with the eyes of before. For something Da Vinci placed the salera in front of Juda at the Final Supper.

Published in 7K.