Salts and its use in modern gastronomy

Abstract

Salt has been used by humans for thousands of years. It is an ionic compound made of sodium and chloride, referred to as NaCI in its chemical formula. Salt has two main sources: sea water and rock salt. Salt from seawater is generally obtained via evaporation. Rock salts are found in vast beds after the drying of a lake and enclosed seas. Most of these beds are found in huge underground caves all around the world. This salt is extracted by mining and solution mining (using water to dissolve the salt). In solution mining the salt reaches the surface as brine, from which then the water is evaporated leaving salt crystals. Salt processing dates back to around eight thousand (8,000) years ago. There is evidence that people in nowadays Romania used to boil spring water to extract salts. Also, in China, around the same period, there is evidence of salt-works. Salt was also valued by the ancient Hebrews, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Hittites, Egyptian and Indians. (Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt) The general idea of people with regards to salt is that is only used in food. But on the contrary, only 6% of salt manufactured is used for cooking. The other 94% is split into 4 other main areas, 12% in Water Conditioning, 8% in Highway De-icing, 6% in Agriculture and the majority of 68% is used in Industrial Chemicals. Salt is used in hundreds of different ways such as in production of paper, plastic, polyester, glass, rubber and also in bleach, soaps, detergents, fertilisers and dyes. Every human being uses salt in one way or another.