Salt

The word sauce comes via Latin from an ancient root word meaning “salt,” the primordial condiment that was prepared by the earth billions of years before early humans learned to enliven their foods with it. Salt is an important flavoring, but also much more than that, and is an ingredient in nearly every preparation described in this book. The relevant chapters explain its role in the making of such foods as cheese, cured meats and fish, pickled vegetables, boiled vegetables, soy sauce, and bread. Here are a few pages about salt itself.