Blood salt

Blood salt is a mineral found in the mountains of Li-Vam-Aur and other parts of the Dun Trisan mountains, widely used in cooking. In folkloreplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigFolklore

Folklore

This is in a series of articles about oral traditions, tales, folk practices, and folklore.

topics cult1 veins of rock salt are said to be the dried blood of ancient monsters that fell from the heavens and were buried deep in the earth.

It is reddish-brown in colour and contains a mixture of crystal salts, including iron and potassium, which are essential for human health. Blood salt is a staple of cookery in Taur-Dji-Oum and surrounding regions where sea salt is not readily available. It is particularly used for preserving meat, and is an important component of rock butter.

“Kat-i-vau blood salt” is considered to be the best quality, with an excellent flavour, a deep red colour, and a healthy balance of nutrient salts. Despite being named after the revered mountain it mined from locations hundreds of kilometres away. Kat-i-vau salt production is regulated by the priest-rulers of Li-Vam-Aur, and hence a lucrative commodity for this bare and isolated nation. Crates are given a special seal, ensuring their quality and authenticity, though counterfeiting is commonplace. Inferior and counterfeit salts is often contaminated with toxic red minerals causing poisoning and even death. Poor families consuming fake blood salt commonly suffer malnutrition and weakness.