[Sca-cooks] More on the Slovenian salt works

[Stefan li Rous]

Yesterday I forwarded to this list a message I got about restoration of these
salt works. I also emailed Silvana, explaining that I was not an importer (I
get a ****load of messages from folks trying to get me to import/buy textiles,
plastic toys, a container load of a spice, etc. I had also asked what she
meant by the talassotherapy centre she mentioned and mention our talking about
  medieval salt production on this list previously. I tried to briefly explain
the SCA. Anyway, that gives you the background for some of her comments below.

I am particularly interested in the fact that they are planning on
reconstruting the medieval salt works including the wind driven pumps and the
rest of the area, and not just tearing everything down and trying to compete
with the big commercial salt harvesting companys. Yes, today we still
evaporate sea water to get salt. It is usually done in vacuum evaporators and
resembles any other large industrial process.

So those of you who would like some real medieval sea salt, harvested using
methods used then, this might be your chance.

Silvana's email is: marija.vucic at amis.net

If she gives me permission I will add these two messages to one of my salt-msg
files in the Florilegium. Or perhaps this will eventually be an article or two.

Stefan

> Hello Mark aka Stefan,
> without a long overture, thank you firstly for your rapid reply.
> Our project is vast and we will be preparing the whole story with
> illustrations etc. Just to mention: in 1283 this part of now slovenian coast
> was part of the Venetian republic and the pans were its property. (Of course
> production goes well back in time.) The basin construction is unique, wiith
> the petola which prevents the mud from mixing with water - making a pure
> white salt. The 'fleur de sel' is something very new for us, but of optimum
> quality. The 200 kg only means that due to weather conditions we were able
> to collect (in a  limited time available as we have full time jobs) 200
> kg...from 6 basins, in just two afternoons. I AM TALKING PURELY OF SALT
> BLOSSOM WHICH WE COLLECTED BY HAND; SKIMMING WITH DUST PANS THE VERY TOP OF
> THE SURFACE....this salt is as white as snow and we 'eat' it like
> chocolates! Our 'medieval' salt pans consisted also of special wind driven
> pumps, which are no more, but we are set to reconstruct them from archive
> drawings. In addition there are still 118 stone houses, most of them in a
> bad state of repair  (the last number available dates back to the middle of
> the 19th Century, of 493 houses). One special salt worker's house  still in
> tact is going to be converted into a small talassotherapy centre: basicly a
> specific health centre with mud baths, aqua madre baths (special thick and
> 'oily' concentrated sea water which has many beneficial qualities),
> hey/lavanda baths, lavanda turkish bath the 'old Roman way' etc. More to
> follow...we are just writing our proposals.
> salt importers we will find by ourselves...at the moment we are simply
> trying to 'spread the news' to the World...as well as Slovenia !
> Of course if anybody wans some salt, we have it; both, the fleur de sel and
> the sea salt, harvested in a classic manner.
> We are happy to share all we can with yourselves and are happy to be able to
> be part of a project unique in the world! We will also tell of the birds and
> flora....as well as the legend.
> Thank you again and please feel free to 'spread the word' wherever you can.
> It is great to see all this interest....and to be part of it.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Silvana (my real name)


--
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris            Austin, Texas         StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****