Salt as Currency: The Forgotten History of Salt Trade
Factoid of the day: Did you know the word salary comes from the word salt? Well, now you do.
Seriously, though, it blows my mind that salt—the most common and essential seasoning we have today—was once so rare it was worth its weight in gold. At the risk of sounding cliché, it was so highly prized that people fought wars over it. Salt has had an active role in shaping economies, empires, and even revolutions.
Its value came from pure necessity. Long before refrigeration, salt was the most reliable way to preserve food. Without it, armies couldn’t march, traders couldn’t travel, and cities couldn’t grow.
So today, I’ll be serving you a plate of salt’s flavorful history. And no, don’t worry, this won’t be as salty as you might think.
Table of Contents
- Salt as Currency and Power
- Salt and Survival: Preservation & Expansion
- Salt Taxes and Revolts: When Salt Sparked Rebellion
- A Taste of History From the Humble Table Salt
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Salt as Currency and Power
Believe it or not, salt once held the power of currency—fueling trade, wealth, and authority across ancient civilizations.
Throughout the Middle Ages (5th-15th centuries), the Romans made salt an official part of their economy. Soldiers in the empire were sometimes paid in salt or given an allowance to buy it. That’s where the word “salary” comes from—salarium, the money for salt. A soldier who did his job well was said to be “worth his salt.”[1]
It’s worth noting, though, that scholars have no consensus on whether or not this word’s origin is indeed true.[2]
In ancient West Africa, traders transported salt from the Sahara by camel and river to major hubs like Timbuktu and Koumbi Saleh, where they exchanged it for goods such as ivory, copper, and cereals—the most common trade being salt for gold dust. In some regions, salt was so valuable that it was literally worth its weight in gold.
To quote historian Mark Cartwright in his article The Salt Trade of Ancient West Africa,
Whoever controlled the salt trade also controlled the gold trade, & both were the principal economic pillars of various West African empires.
In Tibet (an autonomous region of China), famous explorer Marco Polo observed people using small salt cakes stamped with the Grand Khan’s image as coins.[3]
Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, salt bars called Amole—carved and packed in wood—were used as a form of currency. Up until the early 20th century, Amole functioned as the country’s de facto money and a symbol of its cultural and economic heritage, though it has since fallen out of use.[4]
Needless to say, empires rose and fell with their grip on this mineral.
Salt and Survival: Preservation & Expansion
Apart from being a currency, salt was also used for survival. Long before freezers and refrigerators, people relied on salt to keep food edible for months. Meat, fish, and even vegetables were packed in it, a process called salt curing.
Basically, the sodium in salt pulls the moisture out of food, which dries it up and leaves bacteria with nothing to feed on. That meant families could store meat without worrying about it spoiling.
Some of the world’s favorite delicacies—Parma ham, Italian prosciutto, and Spanish jamón—are all delicious byproducts of this ancient preservation method.
Salt’s power to preserve food made it a strategic resource in times of war as well.
Take the American Civil War, for instance: salt was so valuable for preserving rations, tanning leather, and dyeing uniforms that Confederate President Jefferson Davis offered a military service waiver to anyone willing to work in coastal salt production.[5] That’s how serious it was.
Salt even shaped geography. Entire towns and trade routes sprang up around this “white gold.” One of the best examples is Salzburg, Austria—literally “Salt Fortress.” The Celts first worked the region’s salt mines as far back as 600 B.C., laying the foundation for its wealth and influence.[6]
Trade routes, known as “salt roads,” spread from Salzburg across Europe, moving not just salt but also culture and ideas. In many ways, salt didn’t just season food—it seasoned civilization itself.
Salt Taxes and Revolts: When Salt Sparked Rebellion
For all its importance, salt also carried a dark side: taxation and exploitation.
In France, peasants groaned under the gabelle, a hated salt tax that forced them to buy overpriced salt from state monopolies. What started as a modest levy ballooned as the monarchy grew greedier. By 1660, salt revenue made up nearly a third of King Louis XIV’s income, helping finance the grandeur of Versailles.[7]
This salt tax also fueled corruption, smuggling, and resentment, eventually becoming a powerful symbol of inequality and one of the sparks that fed the French Revolution.
Salt also became a tool of colonial oppression under British rule. The 1882 Salt Act banned Indians from collecting or selling salt, forcing them to buy the mineral—essential to every household—at inflated prices from their colonizers.
In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi turned this injustice into a rallying cry for independence. Leading the historic Salt March, he walked 240 miles to the Arabian Sea, where he and his followers defied the law by making their own salt.
The act of civil disobedience, simple yet powerful, inspired thousands to join the movement and resulted in mass arrests—including Gandhi himself. What began as a protest over salt became a defining moment in India’s struggle for freedom.
Seventeen years after the Salt March began, India finally won its independence.
Time and again, salt ignited unrest because of its necessity. You couldn’t avoid it, and when rulers abuse power, it’s only a matter of time before the people fight back.
A Taste of History From the Humble Table Salt
Who would’ve thought that the humble table salt was once one of the world’s most prized commodities—so valuable it could spark wars and inspire revolutions?
While its value has shifted over the centuries, re-learning this history reminds us that salt is more than just seasoning. It’s a symbol of resilience, necessity, and human ingenuity.
Here’s to hoping that the next time you reach for the shaker, remember that you’re seasoning your food with something powerful enough to change the course of world history.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Humans have known and used salt since prehistoric times, so no single person discovered it. Early communities found natural salt deposits and learned to use them for flavoring and preserving food.
How is salt made naturally?
Salt forms when seawater or salty lake water evaporates, leaving behind salt crystals. Miners also extract it from underground deposits left behind when ancient seas dried up millions of years ago.
Why was salt smuggled and traded?
Because governments often taxed or monopolized salt, it became expensive and heavily controlled. To avoid high prices or unfair laws, people smuggled it and traded it illegally.
Why was salt so valuable in trade?
Salt was essential for preserving food before refrigeration. Its role in survival, combined with its scarcity in some regions, made it as valuable as gold in many parts of the world.
References:
[1] From Salt To Salary: Linguists Take A Page From Science : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR
[2] Kiwi Hellenist: Salt and salary: were Roman soldiers paid in salt?
[3] History of Salt | SaltWorks®
