Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

The Salt Valley

Good weather, and the heat is near, and with the increase in temperature comes the time of the salt harvest of this year. This work has already begun in the Añana Valley, located in Álava. Añanan is a traditional winery, but for years it has been in ruins, as the saltwater infrastructures were very deteriorated and this greatly affected the production of salt. In the last 10 years, however, the Salt Valley Foundation of Añana has been working intensively on the renovation of the salt pans, and has also achieved it. Since the start of the renovation, salt production will begin for the second time this year. And apparently the innovations have benefited the product, since more and more people are praising the good quality of Añana salt.

Edorta Loma, the gazkina: salinero's life is very sad to tell, all life working for you to not have a real one!

Edorta Loma, the gazkina: My grandparents and my parents had leeches, and so did I. Now, we're at the Foundation, trying to get this up and fix it. i'm 52 years old, so 52 years old is easy, all my life.

The channels sing the water, the temperature rise under the sun, the salt that accumulates in the orthotics. It's the salty valley of Añana. A place where nature reveals salt.

Leire Arana, Salt Valley Foundation of Añana: In ancient times there was a sea here; that sea dried up and the diapiro salino appeared.

It can be compared to a giant salt rock left underground by centuries of dry sea. The salt rock is eroded and dissolved by groundwater, and this water mixed with salt flows out of the springs.

This is the source of Santa Engracia, one of the three main fountains in the valley. Centuries have passed since the construction of wooden structures to support the orthodox around it. Salt is produced in these areas. Over the past decade, these structures have been rebuilt. And the result of this work are the 135 leathers that are already ready to produce salt.
Those who were standing before were over 5,500.

Leire Arana, Salt Valley Foundation of Añana: We used ancient materials that used pine, for example. That's for the framings and the placement, and we use the same thing, and then we use the greda. Greda is mud. For the production we use the slab to extract the salt cleaner, and we also use concrete or cement. That's what we use.

Edorta Loma, the gazkina: This work was mainly done by women. We hit him with the wrists. We climb the crossbar with the counterweight, and we throw brine.

That's how the skins were filled with water in the old days. At present, brine, salt water, is channeled from the source through the channels to the wells and then poured into the slurry using hoses.

The wells are inhabited by a tiny crustacean called artemia salina. This animal, which grows in coagulated water, explains to the gingerbread the salt level and the temperature of the water with the vitality of its red color.

Leire Arana, Salt Valley Foundation of Añana: Artemia parthenogenetics, she comes out alone, she may be female or male; she changes her sex at the time she needs it, and that is why she keeps the species from time to time.

Once the leathers are filled with water, the brine must be heated to begin the salt production process. In the warmth of the sun, you have to wait.

When the water reaches a temperature of about 20 degrees, it is already ready. The gaz will then repeatedly stir the water so that the first layers of salt are formed.

Edorta Loma, gazkina: The one that moves here, which is getting white and white, is like milk of lime. It's the flowers that are coming up.

Salt flowers are the first to be created. They rise to the surface of the water and, with the passage of hours, the thickness of these salt layers increases. This is a salt of better quality than usual, since it does not hit the bottom and therefore does not mix with the sediments.

Edorta Loma, gingerbread: You can take very thin flowers of salt or, after allowing them to thicken, take thick layers. What is the difficulty? They're not taken by rollers. They're taken with some kind of platform, the cam. It does not take long to take them, but you have to be careful because they break very easily.

Salt flowers that are not collected from the surface of the water, after a few hours, will hit the bottom. When the water in the leatherette evaporates completely, the salt that accumulates there is a typical mineral salt.

Edorta Loma, the gazkina: It's pretty dark... the salt we get in the summer is stored in this warehouse. We'll bring him here in baskets. And the salt which they gather in the tops of the skins shall be poured out of this hole. This is where it will accumulate between October and November. Then from here, you will be taken to the big warehouses for sale.

But there's salt that doesn't go on sale. Salt of the highest quality. Due to its scarcity, only a few privileged people receive it as a gift.

They're pretty cool. As a result of the filtration of the water in the channels, the salt stalactites grow adherent to the channels. For them to grow, they need very precise weather conditions: sun, south wind, and being out.

Edorta Loma, the gazkina: Do you imagine it? From the wood, slowly dripping, pure and healthy filtration. A very clean one. It has no dirt, it falls directly from the source until it is created, very clean.

This is the second crop of salt that the Salt Valley Foundation will receive since it began its innovation work in the valley. Nowadays, the town and valley of Añana, besides being salt producers, is also a place of visit for people with expectations.

Leire Arana, Salt Valley Foundation of Añana: Right now the expectation is very broad, but for us the most important thing is that when people come here they leave here very happy, and the new feeling comes out, because this is not just stone and wood, because this has a history, it is the history here, it is very beautiful, although not mysterious and magical.

Edorta Loma, the gazkina: I need more people to follow me.

They are endorsed by some of our best chefs and have the desire and courage to continue working.