Filed under: Dining In the world of sea salt, the earliest known
sea salt produced by the Japanese may be the rarest of all.
Called Amabito No Moshio ("Ancient Sea Salt"), unpolluted sea
water is collected from the Seto-uchi inland sea, infused with
seaweed to develop the "unami", and then processed by cooking in
an iron kettle, put into a centrifuge, and finally, cooked over
an open fire while stirring constantly. The salt is worth over
$40 per pound. The island where most of this salt is produced is
called Kami-Kamagari, and has a population of less than 3,000.
Archaeological digging has uncovered salt-making pots dating
from the 2nd or 3rd century AD -- a find which, in 1998,
encouraged the locals to take up the production of this ancient
sea salt, again. Salt expert Mark Bittman says the flavor is
"savory" and "unctuous" and suggests it on meats, rice, roasted
potatoes, even a chocolate souffle!