Witoto ash salts from the Amazon

Abstract

There is a correlation between the concentration of the three anions and the perceived taste of the salts, the "sweet" flavor of chloride being the preferred taste. Our research shows that the culinary function of these salts is secondary to their ritual, medicinal and cosmological meaning. The search for chloride is one of the reasons to produce and consume these salts; other reasons are also important: their alkaline pH, which liberates the alkaloid of the tobacco with which the salts are mixed; and their contents of microelements, which, although not discernible in taste, are inferred from symbolic associations of the species used.

Physico-chemical analysis of traditional vegetal salts obtained from three provinces of Papua New Guinea

“…From the present study, it is very clear that some of the s-, d-and p-block elements (Li, Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, V, Mo, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and B) are present in low concentrations (<0.001%-1.341%) while potassium is the most common and present in abundance (21.64%-45.02%). The same was also reported [12] and the values are <0.001%-0.630% and 27.00%-48.50% respectively for almost all the salts obtained from various plant species belonging to different families.…”

“…Based on the limited reports available [11,12,14,16,27], common cations present in various Comparison of the minerals content on the basis of average daily intake (~10 g) and the RDI (mg/d). [17] on rats indicated that the salts, when used in suitable quantity contain enough NaCl for the physiological needs in higher animals and humans in spite of containing large amounts of potassium ions.…”

“…Cations play a minor role in determining the salt taste while anions have major influence [12,14]. Salts with a high concentration of chloride and carbonate are perceived as "sweet and cool" and "strong and hot", respectively by the Witoto Indians.…”

“…Almost all of the common potassium salts are highly soluble in water [28], making the uptake easier. Phosphate (where phosphorus is the second major plant nutrient) has only been rarely reported [12,17]. It should be noted that while alkali metal phosphates are soluble in water, alkaline earth phosphates are either poorly soluble or insoluble [28].…”

“…Throughout the world more or less the same methodology has been practiced, but with little variations in the A RT I C L E I N F O A B S T R AC T plants, tools and equipment utilized. In general, plant materials will be burnt in selected firewood, the ashes will be lixiviated through the filters and the resulting brine will be slowly dehydrated to obtain the dry salt [3,[10][11][12][13][14][15].…”