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May 20, 2006
Salt: A World History - Mark Kurlansky
Who would have thought that something as unassuming as salt could provide the basis for such a fascinating tour through time? In Salt: A World History author Mark Kurlansky gives us a history of the world, from the perspective of the salt trade. Although we take our table salt completely for granted these days, in the not so distant past the ability to access salt was critical for a society's survival. The main use was for preserving food - cod, herring, cabbage, meat. Those countries who had an ample supply of salt could equip armies, live through winters, and engage in the profitable trade of food that would otherwise spoil without salt. Empires have been built, massive fortunes have been made and lost, all to do with controlling the salt trade. Even in nature, where there are salt licks, there are animals, taking in this simple compound so necessary for physical survival.
Kurlansky starts us off in China four thousand years ago where the act of drilling was first invented to access brine from salt wells, and takes us up all the way to the present with the Morton and Cargill companies dominating salt production worldwide. The book is extremely well researched and filled with interesting detail. A must read for any lover of history or of food.
Posted by elise at 7:24 PM
to History, Non-fiction
Comments
I was actually disappointed with this book. I thought that it had so much potential, but then it did not come through for me in the end. I kept wishing for it to be more engaging. That only happened when he was describing the use of salt in creating asian spices.
Posted by: beastmomma at June 7, 2006 12:16 PM
I thought the history sections were very interesting. I guess to each his own, or as they say in the car commercials "Your mileage may vary".
taw
Posted by: Terry Weadock at December 19, 2007 12:49 PM
