The Story of Salt

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Synopsis
From the award-winning and bestselling author of Cod comes the dramatic, human story of a simple substance, an element almost as vital as water, that has created fortunes, provoked revolutions, directed economies and enlivened our recipes.Salt is common, easy to obtain and inexpensive. It is the stuff of kitchens and cooking. Yet trade routes were established, alliances built and empires secured - all for something that filled the oceans, bubbled up from springs, formed crusts in lake beds, and thickly veined a large part of the Earth's rock fairly close to the surface. From pre-history until just a century ago - when the mysteries of salt were revealed by modern chemistry and geology - no one knew that salt was virtually everywhere. Accordingly, it was one of the most sought-after commodities in human history. Even today, salt is a major industry. Canada, Kurlansky tells us, is the world's sixth largest salt producer, with salt works in Ontario playing a major role in satisfying the Americans' insatiable demand.As he did in his highly acclaimed Cod, Mark Kurlansky once again illuminates the big picture by focusing on one seemingly modest detail. In the process, the world is revealed as never before.From the Hardcover edition.
Copyright:
2002

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9780307369796
Related ISBNs:
9780676975352
Publisher:
Knopf Canada
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Mark Kurlansky
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food and Wine
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

4 out of 5

By on

This older book is still a fascinating account of this ubiquitous seasoning and how it played roles in nation building, scientific and industrial advances, human rights and, of course, food culture. Loads of facts but still pleasant to read. I'm sure glad refrigeration came along because all of that fermenting brine sounded awful!