If there’s one underdog of the dinner table, it’s salt. While we love to sprinkle table salt onto our plates, we often overlook the crucial role salt has played throughout history, in and out of the kitchen.
Don’t believe it? Take a look at salt’s story and special properties below!
Salt as a preservative…
Before modern technology and the invention of refrigeration as we know it today, people had to keep their meat preserved and safe to eat somehow. That’s where salt comes in. For centuries, people covered cuts of meat with salt, which would absorb moisture from the meat and prevent bacteria from growing there. It’s surprising that something we keep in our pantries was able to provide sustenance for hunters and families for all that time!
…and a currency
Perhaps even more surprising than salt’s role as a preservative, is its history as a pivotal piece of currency. In parts of Africa, it was used as coins; in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Mozart, the Salzach River ran through an area rich in salt deposits–both the river and the city, in fact, were named after the German word for salt, salz. Salt was important to the Romans, too—so much so that Roman soldiers were sometimes paid with it! The word salary stems from this practice.
The powerful electrolyte
Salt doesn’t just make food taste a bit better—the sodium actually serves as an electrolyte in our bodies, regulating fluid and helping to maintain nerve and muscle function. While it’s still recommended that we enjoy salt in moderation, it’s impossible to overlook the seasoning’s crucial role in our diets!
The storied job interview
You may have heard the legend of the corporate executive who would take prospective employees out for lunch. It’s said that this executive (who has been told as everyone from Thomas Edison to Henry Ford) would observe whether or not his applicant salted his food without tasting it first—if he did, that was seen as a poor judgement call and he would immediately fail his interview. While we may not have proof of this happening, it definitely stands to share a lesson!
Stonewood’s recommendation? Taste your food first! We take care in ensuring that every dish is perfectly seasoned, and you’ll likely find that what’s on your plate is just perfect already.
Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair—but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise. Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!