L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano this special diet. One place to see the salt p a n s u p c l o s e i s a t t h e Saline Culcasi, located in the Nubia district, just out- side Trapani. The Culcasi family, who has been har- vesting salt for four genera- tions, opened a salt museum in a 16 th -century salt work- er's house on the shores of the lagoon. Inside the museum, there a r e t o o l s , p h o t o s a n d exhibits that bring the salt- collection process alive. Visi- tors can see specialty tools adapted for extraction and harvest, along with wooden carts and ancient mecha- n i s m s s u c h a s a w o o d e n Archimedes screw. Black- and-white photos relay the b r u t a l n a t u r e o f t h e s a l t - gathering process. Working in full sun, in temperatures often exceed- ing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the bare-chested salt work- ers would carry heavy buck- ets full of wet salt on their shoulders. Because of the h e a t a n d w o r k i n g c o n d i - tions, they would wear very little clothing. This might have kept them cooler but any nicks or cuts on their used to perform. Salt that has been compromised or h a s i m p u r i t i e s i s s o l d t o colder climates as street salt for winter road use. The hand-harvested salt of Trapani is truly unique in many ways. It has a distinc- tive, almost un-salty taste. Compared with supermarket salt, the bitterness of the commercial product is star- tling. Trapani salt also con- tains naturally present min- erals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron. Commercial salt, on the other hand, which is col- l e c t e d b y m a c h i n e s , i s washed first to remove dirt and then relies on chemical additives to replace the lost minerals. Several micro-organ- isms thrive in the Trapani salt flats, including algae w h i c h p r o d u c e b e t a carotene, giving the water a distinctive pink color. Micro- s h r i m p a l s o i n h a b i t t h e ponds, feeding on the algae. These small crustaceans help feed the flamingo popula- tion which arrives during its annual migration to feed and mate. Their feathers turn a beautiful pink hue, thanks to skin would soon by burning f r o m t h e s a l t . T h e h e a v y buckets were carried to a conveyor belt that moved the salt to an area where it could dry. T o d a y , w o r k i n g c o n d i - tions are better but still chal- l e n g i n g . B e c a u s e o f t h e hand-gathering, workers can avoid disturbing the crust of s o i l u n d e r t h e d r i e d s a l t , w h i c h k e e p s t h e p r o d u c t cleaner during the harvest. This method eliminates the need for further processing or purification. There is no need to wash the salt, as they d o i n c o m m e r c i a l o p e r a - tions, so the beneficial nutri- ents remain. O n c e y o u ' v e s e e n t h e m u s e u m , t a k e t i m e i s t o walk the route of the salt worker. On a cleared path- way, you can stroll to the edge of the lagoon and then walk along the canals that divide the various salt pans. It's a landscape unlike any other, characterized by white pyramids of salt, shallow pink-hued ponds and the picturesque windmills. The Saline Culcasi is open year- round; allow about an hour for your visit. f r o m t h e p r e c e d i n g y e a r , c l e a n e d a n d r e p a i r e d , a s needed; then the pans are filled. When the water has evaporated and the salt is ready, it is collected manual- ly, both by skimming the surface and by scooping it out with buckets. After the summer harvest, t h e s a l t i s c r u s h e d a n d placed in piles which are then covered with terra cotta tiles to protect it from dirt and other impurities. The salt piles dry naturally, rely- ing on the sun's strong rays to eliminate the last of the water residue. The finest crystals, known as fior di sale ("flower of the salt"), are gathered first. These valuable crystals are prized by chefs and home cooks alike. Flavorings such as lemon peel, cinnamon, rosemary and other natural herbs and spices are often a d d e d t o t h e f i o r d i s a l e before it is packaged and sold in the shops. The remaining salt, har- vested later in the season, consists of coarser, larger crystals, sold as is or ground down for table salt – anoth- er job that the windmills O n a recent visit t o t h e w e s t coast of Sici- l y , I f u l l y e x p e c t e d t o see the traditional trappings of a Mediterranean coast- line: rocky coves, dramatic cliffs and spectacular sunsets over deep-blue waters. What I did not expect to see were pink flamingoes and windmills, yet both were plentiful and easy to spot along the picturesque coast- line near Trapani, a town of 70,000 on Sicily's western coast. Both the flamingoes and windmills owe their exis- tence to Trapani's centuries- o l d t r a d i t i o n o f s e a - s a l t e x t r a c t i o n , c a r r i e d o u t today in much the same way as it has been for centuries. I n f a c t , t h e c o a s t l i n e b e t w e e n T r a p a n i a n d Marsala is known as the Salt Road. Trapani's salt flats consist of multiple, shallow, clay- bottom pools filled from the surrounding seawater. The first tank links to the sea; the pool is filled, helped along as the tide moves water in and out. The hot relentless sun a n d s t r o n g c o a s t a l w i n d s h e l p t h e w a t e r e v a p o r a t e n a t u r a l l y o v e r s e v e r a l months. O n c e t h e s a l i n e l e v e l reaches a certain point, the water is pumped to a higher s h a l l o w e r p o o l , u s i n g a n A r c h i m e d e s ' s c r e w . T h e process is repeated several t i m e s , m o v i n g t h e w a t e r from pool to pool. I n t h e p a s t , w i n d m i l l s would drive the pumps; now, of course, they are powered by electricity. Despite this change, collecting the salt h e r e i s s t i l l p r i m a r i l y a m a n u a l p r o c e s s , u s i n g age-old techniques — one of the few places in the world where salt is still extracted from the sea by hand. Harvesting salt is a long, laborious and meticulous p r o c e s s , t a k i n g f i v e t o seven months. The work begins in the spring when the salt pans are emptied RITA CIPALLA The salt museum at the Saline Culcasi explains the salt-extraction process; visitors can also walk along the route of the salt worker (Photo: Dale Smith). Left: windmills were once important features of the salt pans of Trapani, providing power to grind the salt (Photo: Rita Cipalla) The salt pans of Trapani offer a unique landscape, flamingos included ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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