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This book is endlessly fascinating. Who knew that wars were fought for salt, people were enslaved to work it, roads and waterways built to transport it, fortunes made and lost, and much much more? Well, somebody knew, but I certainly didn't. Anthony Bourdain says of the book, "The fascinating indispensable history of an indispensable ingredient...a must-have for any serious cook or foodie." I would add for any history buff as well. There are so many interesting tidbits about food, origins of words regarding salt, geography, history, just everything. For example: The French expression for "breeding tells all" is "le caque sent toujours le hareng (the barrel always/still smells of herring). The origin of this is that poor people were forced to eat herring for holy days while the upper classes enjoyed fresh carp from their private sources. Another tidbit...the Erie canal was built--at a cost of $6 mill. in 1817-1825--to transport salt. Another...the Union army strategically blocked Confederate salt routes to stop the salted provisions the soldiers required in order to starve them into submission. There are hundreds more fascinating tidbits in this book. Get it, read it, and you will not be disappointed.

2023-01-30 09:45