This Sakapulas community has been extracting salt from the lands along the river in a time honored way since at least 1560. The salt is actually drawn from the earth by spreading special soil and wetting it. On productive days the salt can be baked several times until black. The black salt is thought to be tastier and is famed for its medicinal qualities in treating stomach and eye problems. Maya global is working to uncover more of the original salinos. A wall is needed to protect them from flooding.
Maya Black Salt is a robust-flavored salt, similar to France’s famous sel gris that gets its color from trace minerals. Additional sources of the salt have been identified. The Peten Lowlands Maya sites, the Pacific Lowlands, the Caribbean coast and the Salinas de los Nueve Cerros in the Chixoy river in the highlands of Alta Verapaz in Guatemala are all traditional locations that produced salt by various methods. In Alta Verapas the salt is obtained from a brine springs that flows black from a salt dome. This site once produced an estimated 2,000 tons per year.
The ancient Maya population consumed large quantities of salt. They believed it was the heart of everything. It was required in their diet and it was also used as a preservative. Salt was frequently used for ritual and medicinal purposes and was a component of childbirth and death. The Maya today continue to produce Black Salt because of its cultural importance and they value its unique flavor as an enhancement in cooking versus other salts.
Maya Global 2012 goal is to help preserve this very important Maya ancient cultural tradition. We plan to fund and develop, with the San Mateo Ixtatán in Huehuetenango and Sacapulas in Quiché, the Maya Black Salt as an important product that will be in demand for its unique cooking and seasoning use. There are problems at each site that prevent full production. Flooding has already been mentioned. Some of the original salinos require excavation. Protection from further flooding must be provided. This unique salt is a wonderful product that is distinctly Mayan. International demand can be established. It will be an economic and spiritual boost for the Maya to see the restoration of a flourishing salt industry.
