Salt
Along with olive oil, salt is one of the essences of Mediterranean cuisine. The salt industry is part of the Portuguese identity and culture, since it is one of the country’s activities which date back the longest. Favourable climate conditions and the right production techniques have made salt from Portugal one of its most well known quality products.
In the Lisbon region, there are the only “interior salt flats” that exist in Portugal, which bring together more than eight centuries of history. Located on the Rio Maior, the rock salt mines are developed around a saltwater pool from which the water is taken, and distributed onto drying sheets. Production usually takes place in spring and summer. The sun is a key component to the process that to this day is still carried out by hand.
On the coast of the Algarve region, sea salt is produced with superb purity and nutritional value. The municipalities of Olhão, Tavira and Castro Marim have gained notoriety for constituing three important centers of salt production. In these locations the numerous ducts channel the sea water, which flows into small pools, where it is rested until only the crystals remain. With an ideal geographical and geological situation, these salt flats are the meeting point between the fresh water of the river and the salt water of the Atlantic, thereby bringing together the necessary conditions for a natural product, which preserves important sea minerals and nutrients, and contributes to a healthy and balanced diet.
The Aveiro region, in the Central region, is also known for its vast salt flats, which are the hallmark of the region. The salt workers work during the months of July, August and September collecting and storing the salt from crystallisation pools, continuing the centuries-old tradition of salt extraction, which today sees a reduced number of saltworks.
As well as its use as a seasoning, salt is also an element traditionally associated with the preservation of food products, especially cod. The method, known as salting or brining, consists of covering the product with salt for a certain period of time.
Did you know...
The word salary derives from the word salt. Salt, used for centuries as a means of conservation, was considered so valuable and important that it was used as currency for all kinds of payments, especially salaries.
