Salt is universally recognized as a sign of "purity" and has played a central role in the history of civilized man dating back to the ancient Chinese. Roman soldiers were given allowances to buy salt and from that stipend, called "salarium argentums" or "salt money" the word salary was derived.

Salt has medicinal, spiritual and life sustaining qualities that are core to many cultures the world over. Sodium chloride, more commonly known as salt, represents an essential element of life, being one of the elements the human body cannot do without.

Salt is one of four basic components of taste along with sweet, sour and bitter.


NPR: Salt highlighted at the Fancy Food Show in New York.