The salt culture of Fujian: A millennium of craftsmanship

People work in Fujian's salt pans. [Photo by Zheng Chengle/WeChat ID: fj-news]

Fujian, located in East China and renowned for its rich culinary heritage, has nurtured a millennium-old salt culture, where salt is not merely a seasoning, but also a living piece of history.

Located at 25 degrees north, Fujian's sea salt production area benefits from high average annual sunshine hours, naturally creating a golden sunshine zone ideal for producing high-quality sun-dried sea salt.

With a history dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), sea salt production in Fujian began to take shape during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Initially, sea salt was produced by boiling, and the method of sun-drying sea salt, still in use today, can be traced back to the Song and Jin Dynasties.

Fujian's sea salt pans, the only government-protected natural sea salt production area in the country, are the largest producers of traditional manually sun-dried sea salt.

Today, the salt pans in Fujian, including those with the least history, have accumulated sediment for more than 50 years, posing a challenge to rebuild. Protecting these salt pans is crucial to ensuring the quality of crude salt and establishing a solid foundation for the supply of high-quality salt in Fujian.

To safeguard these resources, the Fujian Provincial People's Government has implemented regulations mandating strict protection measures for existing salt pans, yielding positive outcomes.

Fujian's sun-dried ecological sea salt, rich in marine elements such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, offers both a delicious flavor and nutritional benefits. Maintaining consistently high quality, Fujian sea salt enjoys a strong reputation domestically and internationally.