Sa Huynh Traditional Salt Field

HISTORY

Sa Huynh salt field was formed a long time ago, but because there are no recorded documents, it is not known exactly when. In the community of salt farmers, there is also a legend about a man surnamed Ngo who came to Sa Huynh and discovered the salt fields here; now he is honored as the patriarch of the salt industry, worshiping every year on the full moon day of the 7th lunar month according to local customs. In the years 1884–1945, when Sa Huynh salt field was ruled by the French, the production of  Fleur de sel took place continuously in a farming style similar to the way salt is made in Europe and is maintained to this day.

Sa Huynh community of salt people

The salt field is owned by the salt community of Sa Huynh and the Sa Huynh Salt Cooperative. With the salt profession passed down from father to son for many generations up to now, Sa Huynh has many skilled salt farmers, good salt making techniques, and produces Fleur de sel and quality white salt grains on the ground.

The traditional method of making salted water

  • Take advantage of the tides

    The traditional method of making salt water involves taking advantage of the tides of the sea to bring seawater into the salt fields and exposing it to the sun for many days to settle impurities and reach the ideal salinity for salt crystallization.

  • Use mineral-rich clay soil

    The salt field to crystallize is a mineral-rich clay soil. Cooling helps salt crystallize slowly, creating sea salt with a delicious salty taste and rich in minerals.

  • Preserve tradition

    Sa Huynh salt field is one of the few places in Vietnam that still retains the traditional way of producing salt on the ground. Thanks to the special soil and geography, the salt people of Sa Huynh can produce high-quality, clean white salt on the ground. Sa Huynh salt has long since become a famous "brand" of delicious salt for Vietnamese people.

Ecosystem on the Sa Huynh salt field

The salt production zone can be thought of as a special ecosystem comprising a diverse range of microorganisms and animal and plant populations.

In the traditional salt fields, we can easily encounter many interesting creatures, most notably many types of small fish swimming in salt water. Organic organisms such as algae, cyanobacteria, etc. use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and inorganic ingredients to produce organic substances that increase the activity of other organic organisms such as crustaceans, krill, fruit flies, nematodes, Artemia, and the microalgae Dunaliella salina.

All of these organisms contribute to high salt production because they color saltwater (especially the microalgae D. salina), which increases solar absorption and promotes water evaporation. The conservation of salt production is considered necessary to protect this ecosystem.

- Learn more about "Sahu Salt" -