Friday 14 November 2008

Salt and Pepper




Some of you may remember my trip to the Niigata sea side earlier this year. While I was there I filled a twenty litre tank with sea water for Canaan to make salt. I have fond memories of lugging it home across the moonlit rice paddies from the village hall. Well, now that it is getting colder and we are lighting the wood stove everyday, it seems a good chance to make good use of the heat.

While the rest of our lives go on, while pots are being made and deadlines being met. While children are being sent off to school or meals are being made, a fry pan full of filtered sea water slowly evaporates on the stove.

By the end of the day all the water is gone and we have a fry pan full of salt crystals. From one litre of sea water we get about 30 grams of salt, so eventually we should have about 600 grams of sea salt. I already use it in the cooking, and it has a mellower flavour than rock salt.

Mika took this snap shot of me photographing the salt and pepper, and it seems that I have more in common with it than I thought.

2 comments:

  1. So opposite yet so complimentary in so many ways. I had to laugh as I just bought a bag of this last week. Nice to see you, hope you are all well.

    Mark

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  2. Hi Mark,
    Thanks for you comment.
    Yes, very well, very busy. Interestingly grizzled hair like mine is "Goma Shio" in Japanese, Sesame and salt. Either way I guess it maens I'm well seasoned.
    Cheers,
    Euan

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