Salt is fundamental to our health, it preserves and flavours our food and in history has been a very valuable product. The word ‘salary’ (salt money), which has come from Roman times (via Latin) into a number of European languages, shows this very well.

Salt is not always seen positively however - in the Old Testament Lot’s wife was turned into a ‘pillar of salt’, while there is Coleridge’s famous line on the shipwrecked sailor “water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink …“ (from The Ancient Mariner)

In this item you will find out many more things about salt and the stories associated with it. Click on the pictures for activities.

Salt - the background
Salt mines
Salt in legends

Teacher’s note: items appropriate for intermediate level students