Salt is as familiar as water and the air we breathe, and it's just as essential to us. Historically, people have depended on salt for preserving food so they had a supply to last them through lean times. Salt was an essential, sought-after commodity then—and still is today. The Miracle of Salt (Artisan Books) celebrates salt's essential role in helping us make the best use of our food by preserving and enhancing it, so that it not only keeps well but also tastes delicious. From the puckery preserved lemons of the Middle East to the sweet-salty desserts of Brittany, discover culturally important condiments, dishes and drinks from around the world.
Corned Beef Hash
Pennsylvania
To make corned beef—also called salt beef or salt brisket—the meat is soaked in a brine for 8 days, then gently boiled in water aromatic with spices for three to four hours, resulting in meltingly tender meat. Use it to make this classic breakfast dish found in Pennsylvania and New England. But it can be comfort food for any time of day. The name comes from the French hâcher, meaning to chop, because the beef and all the other ingredients are chopped small.
Acadian Salted Scallions
Nova Scotia
Salted scallions—oignons verts salées—are a staple of the Acadian pantry. Acadians have a distinctive culinary culture and their language is a distinctive version of French. In the Acadian kitchen, salted scallions are a taste of summer during the winter, and they can be used as an aromatic seasoning all year round.
Salt Production
Lac Rose, Senegal
The water at Lake Retba, known as Lac Rose is supersaturated, and there salt can be gathered from underneath the water. In the hot sun, the salt crystallizes on the surface of the water and then sinks to the bottom, forming a thick crust. Tinted pink when it's first harvested, the salt looks white after it has spent a few days in the sun drying out.
Breton Salted Butter Cake
Brittany, France
Brittany is known for salt from the Guérande, north of the mouth of the Loire River, and this sweet-salty cake known as Kouign-Amann is a creative example of the frugal practicality of the people there. Leftover bread dough is enriched with butter and sugar, transforming the finished pastry into a caramelized rustic cake.
Salt-Preserved Lemons
Morocco
A Moroccan staple, salt-preserved lemons are an incredibly versatile pantry essential. Lemons are commonly quartered and then rubbed with salt before being stuffed into jars. After a few months, the preserved lemons will be very soft and sweet tasting, perfect for everything from sauces to roast chicken to cake.
Brined Tomatoes
Eastern Europe
The distinctive Eastern European take on tomatoes is very simple to make and a refreshing accompaniment to any meal. Brined tomatoes, preserved by fermentation without vinegar, are a distinctive food, a great way to extend the summer. You can vary the flavors: some versions include a little chile, allspice, parsley, celery or all of them; some add a splash of vinegar.
Basturma
Armenia
Basturma, also known as pastirma, is salted and pressed, coated in a paste called chaiman, and then hung again to dry and cure. The result is a delicious form of cured beef that is very lean and—in countries like the Republic of Armenia, Turkey and Egypt—has historically been an important ingredient when making sure that meat would last the winter was a matter of survival.
Mango Lassi
India
Salt is an essential ingredient in hot-season drinks in different parts of India, most often black salt, or kala namak, which is used to flavor cooling green mango juice. Also on the subcontinent, lassi, made from yogurt and water, is usually a salted savory drink, although in the West, people most often make sweet versions (banana or mango lassi being the go-tos).
Salted Black Beans
China
Called dou chi in Mandarin, fermented black beans are made from cooked black soybeans that are inoculated with aspergillus spores, salted or soaked in an intensely salty brine, and fermented. They're a versatile larder ingredient, adding intense umami to any food they're combined with.
Kimchi
Korea
Though chile-seasoned napa cabbage (baechu) is the most common version, kimchi is also made with other vegetables. To make it, wedges of cabbage are immersed in a flavored brine, then stored in a cool place while the lactic acid fermentation takes place. Serve it as a cross between condiment and side salad, always refreshing and flavorful, or use classic red napa kimchi as an unusual filling for an omelet to provide heat and crunch.
Adapted from the Miracle of Salt by Naomi Duguid, published by Artisan © 2022.
