Salt of the Earth: Salt-making in the region

The declining number of traditional salt-making activities in the region can be blamed on several factors, chief of which is the decreasing number of farmers who are interested in continuing the industry.

Many of them have left the traditional salt-making business and shifted to other trades and occupations, including farming, cattle-raising and gardening, while a significant number have gone over to the tourism sector.

There are two traditional ways of making salt. According to Emil Micu, a fourth-generation salt seller and distributor, there are two types of salt.

“Rock salt is mined from the ground. White salt, on the other hand, is made by the evaporation of the brine, which is obtained in several ways,” he explained.

Naturally grown rock salt is mined from salt deposits in the earth using common excavation tools and methods. Because of this, many believe that it is salt in its purest form.

“Most commonly, this kind of salt comes in large clumps when freshly mined from the deposits. These are crushed and ground into various sizes and then sorted for distribution,” Emil explains.

Seawater and brines are the most common sources. “Seawater is collected from the ocean. Brine is highly concentrated salt water that may occur naturally underground or in salt lakes,” he described.

The highly concentrated salt water goes through an evaporation process. “First, the liquid runs through a series of filters to separate any impurities, such as sand, clay, and other minerals.

The filtered liquid is then run through several pans to cool it to a certain temperature. This process is repeated until only the solid mineral is left, which is further drained and dried for days,” explained Emil.

Artificial heat processing is also undertaken nowadays. The brine is placed in a vacuum vessel with enough pressure to boil the liquid until salt is formed. “It is actually a more modern way,” he added.

Cultural heritage

In Thailand, salt is still produced in the traditional way in Nan Province. In Bo Kluea, the people use the open-pan salt making method. “It is a method of salt production wherein salt is extracted from the brine using open pans,” said one local.

The people of Nan’s Bo Kluea District have been doing it for centuries, and they still do it the traditional way. “Watching the process was one of my coolest cultural experiences,” exclaimed one tourist.

The Nan Salt Ponds are open to the public and visitors can watch the salt brine being harvested from a meters-deep well and observe the traditional boiling process.

Sadly, salt production activities have declined significantly in recent years, with only about six out of 15 villages now actively engaged in traditional salt-making.

In Vietnam, traditional salt-making is recognized as a national cultural heritage, backed by a history of hundreds of years and is an indispensable part of the economic and cultural life of the local people in Thai Thuy District in Thai Binh Province.

“We even have an annual Salt Goddess festival in Thuy Hai Commune, to honor the Salt Goddess and promote the traditional salt-making craft of the region. Thuy Hai salt is renowned for its pure grains,” one local said proudly.

Endangered craft

In the Philippines, where vast areas of salt beds have now been replaced by residential subdivisions and shopping malls, the traditional craft of making Asin Tibuok (unbroken salt), which is one of the country’s rarest artisanal sea salts, has been officially inscribed in the UNESCO Heritage List in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

“This underscores its cultural significance and the pressing need to protect the activity from extinction. It now joins the ranks of globally recognized traditions considered endangered yet vital to the preservation of cultural identity,” shared Emil.

Asin Tibuok is produced using a centuries-old method that involves leaching seawater through the ashes of burned coconut husks, then boiling the concentrated brine for long hours in handcrafted clay pots.

The outcome is a distinctive, egg-shaped block of salt known for its smoky aroma, deep flavor, and cultural symbolism.

In Indonesia and particularly in Bali, residents have been making salt since the 16thcentury. Their method is very distinctive, such as evaporating brine using a trough made from a coconut tree trunk split in half with the middle part dredged to form a basin.

“It is a legacy of tradition and folk wisdom. This palung salt technology can produce a high grade of hygienic consumer salt products with a distinctive taste,” declared one resident.

“In recent years, the number of palung salt farmers has declined, with most salt-making areas converted into tourism spots and hotels, and the subsequent decline in the number of salt farmers,” she said.

All over the world, many indigenous food-production traditions are disappearing because of the rise of technology and the struggles of those who are producing these foods.

“This is the case with some of our salt farmers in the region. But we should still be thankful that there remain a few groups and families who are still willing to put in long days and hard labor to make sure these traditions continue,” Emil concluded.



(This story is part of a series about the vanishing cultural traditions in Southeast Asia.)