Sacred Salt
© Michele Spatari / AFP
Hand-harvested from the banks of a remote river in northwestern South Africa, Baleni salt is developing a growing culinary following, as much for its unique taste as its back story. The salt, say locals, is sanctified by the spirits of their ancestors, for the crystals come from the water of a holy spring said to have healing powers. The harvesting is done only by women, who often camp in the dry river bed for weeks to make the most of the dry season before the spring rains fall.The spring is dubbed "kamkhulu" meaning "the place of the great one." According to legend, the spirit of ancestors who first settled there give it its power.
