A 40 minute drive from the Pacific Ocean, salt is made in the mountains where the Shimanto River flows. Making salt in the mountains – Why the mountains and not at sea?
According to Hiroo Morisawa who makes salt at ”Studio Shio no Mura”, there is basically no difference between making salt by the sea or in the mountains. He chose to make salt in the mountains because of the difference in hours of sunlight, wind, and humidity, all of which allows him to take more time to make salt.
Compared to the seaside, there are fewer hours of sunlight in the mountains, and the mineral content of the salt becomes deeper and more mellow as water is added and the solution is mixed many times. Morisawa pointed out that ”the sea and the mountains are connected by the river”. It is true that the clean water is produced by the mountain and it flows through the rivers and eventually arrives at the sea. When the mountain is rough, the sea becomes rough, and when the mountain is rich the sea also becomes rich. In consideration of this fact, Morisawa ended up building a lodge in the mountains even though he initially considered making salt by the sea. He hopes that this will also help revitalize the mountain areas which have experienced a decline in population.
Getting the best from the mountains and the sea
Morisawa spends 2 to 3 months in the winter and 3 to 4 weeks in the summer to produce salt.
To make 50 kg of salt, he brings a 2 ton truckload of seawater, and allows the water to evaporate in the ”Harvesting House”. When the concentration is about 5 times that of seawater, he moves it to the ”Sun House” allowing all the moisture to evaporate. He checks the condition every day and stirs repeatedly. After 1 to 3 months, the solution is put in a spinner and dried. He does not cook in a pot, and prefers to allow the sun to dry the salt.
You cannot make that much salt in the mountains. So it is sold mostly by direct sale, and yet there are times when he runs out of salt. The flagship product is ”Tosano Yamashio Kozo (salt made in the Tosa mountains)”. Professional chefs are big fans of the salt that contains ”umami” and sweetness, accompanied by a little bitterness.
Taking a lot of time and effort to fully draw out the best of the mountains and the sea, the results are absolutely delicious. The salt makes you appreciate the richness of the Pacific Ocean.
