LAKE SALTS
Lake Assal Salt, Djibouti, East Africa
A fair-trade salt created by a natural combination of hot winds and atmospheric pressure on Lake Assal, the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest body of water on earth. Salt forms on the surface of the lake and is then rolled across the lake by hot winds, increasing in size rather like a snowball rolling down a hill, until it reaches the edge of the lake where it is simply scooped up by nomadic tribesmen. For centuries, this was the predominant commodity in old world Abyssinia and a source of great wealth and power. Still used as currency in some parts of Africa, with 98 to 99% purity.
Qinghai Lake Salt, Tibet
Since time immemorial, the nomadic herdsmen of northern Tibet have lived in the extremely harsh cold environment of the high plateau of the Himalayas. Each spring, the men make a 90-day yak caravan odyssey to the mysterious salt lake of Qinghai (AKA the “Blue Green Lake”) which lies at an altitude of 10,498 feet. Amidst much ritual and ceremony (they even have their own salt language), the salt is painstakingly hand harvested. They then haul this “white gold” back to their native valleys where it can be traded for grain and other vital commodities, the way it has always been. This is a rare glimpse into a fast disappearing world. Unwashed, unfiltered and unrefined in every sense of the word.
Ukrainian Lake Salt, Crimean Peninsula
[Several kilos of this Ukrainian Lake salt were purchased in 2021 before the war started. Once finished, it will be replaced due to potential war fallout].
Since, 1789, on the shores of the Black Sea, on Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, lies a shallow saltwater lagoon named Sasyk-Sivash Lake. For centuries, traders have collected and sold the pink-tinted salt that the lake produces. The pink color is the result of microalgae that thrive in salty conditions and produce high levels of beta-carotene, a reddish pigment that protects it from the region's intense sunlight. Towards the end of the summer the brine is evaporating gradually. What is left is the glittering pink salt with content of natural beta-carotene, iodine and other valuable micro-elements. This natural hand-harvested sea salt. Natural sun-dried Crimean sea salt strengthens all our body functions; neutralizes toxins and harmful bacteria. According to the structure of microelements, the Crimean pink salt is close to the chemical composition of human blood.
This salt completely dissolves in the body fluids and is not deposited in human tissues and internal organs, because it is very well absorbed by the human body. This 100% natural salt is not treated with chemical dyes and chemical disintegrants. It should be noted that the pink color of salt does not last long. Under the influence of sunlight, it gradually disappears, but this does not affect its usefulness in any way.