“Waiter! A plate of salt please.”

Sorry, what?!

A plate of salt! No-one goes into a restaurant to order a plate of salt. Even you nyama-choma (char-grilled meat) loving Kenyans may ask for salt on the side, but not a plateful.

I am Salt!

I love to cook and experiment with new recipes. It has always amazed me that salt is needed for almost all recipes. Even the sweet ones – it is no wonder that salted caramel is more of a hit than regular caramel. We once bought Mac-Chocolate and as a family we wanted to know why it was so much tastier than other drinking chocolate options in the market. Salt! What about Mushenye (a local mashed mix of sweet potato and beans)? I tasted this delicacy at an aunty’s house and loved it so much I asked for the recipe … sweet potato and cooked beans! So simple! So I proceeded to make it and the first time, it tasted absolutely awful.  Then I added a little salt and voila, the delicacy was back in action.

I am Salt!

I am no tequila drinker, the smell of it sends me running for the hills and I refuse to partake in anything that I have to endure. However, the tequila connoisseurs will proclaim that salt and lemon make all the difference. I will have to take their word for it. Nevertheless, salt is an important additive to the enjoyment of the drink.

I am Salt!

If you have ever found yourself harbouring a bit of an infection, salt is considered a good alternative to antiseptic. Whether it is as a mouthwash, gargle, solution to cleanse a cut or disinfect medical tools, salt water has been used for centuries to fight infection.

I am Salt!

In the northern hemisphere, where snow and ice can turn a friendly drive into catastrophe, it is salt that is used to rescue the situation and ensure that roads remain motorable. Salt lowers the freezing point of water and thus keeps ice from forming on the surface of the road.

I am Salt!

Too much salt burns, it burns flesh if you dare apply it directly to the wound. Too much salt dries out and dehydrates, which is why it is used as a preservative for all manner of things. Too much salt makes the dish unpalatable.

I am Salt!

In the Dead Sea, the salt content is so high that it is believed to cure all manner of skin maladies. The density so greatly increased by the salt that even the novice swimmer cannot sink. People travel from all over the world to soak and cleanse in the salt water.

I am Salt!

Pink Himalayan Salt, Sea Salt, Magadi Salt, Iodised Table Salt, De-iodised Salt, Free-flow Salt … who knew that salt can come in so many different forms (and at so many different price points)?

I am Salt!

Better as an accompaniment. Enhancing flavour and enjoyment when taken in small doses. Curing and cleansing when used well.

I am Salt!

What are you?