This chapter made me so hungry! I love pasta, salami, cheese etc... I never knew that salt was in cheese, it is weird how so many different foods use salt as a main ingredient. It is completely horrible that the Italians tied prisoners to a wheel by their heads and made them walk on it. That is just pure torture.
I never knew that ham was so touchy. I thought it was just a simple process, but I guess I thought wrong. I like the Patina's opinion when it comes to cheese, I think that moldy cheese is disgusting. I also think it should be considered bad for the body. I never heard before that cheese could help with spitting up blood. I wonder if it works or not? Who would have thought that made cheese was such hard work. I always knew that the French and Romans made a lot of different cheeses, but I didn't know it was so complicated.
Guess what? Salami is another word that derives from salt, does it ever stop? I could not imagine our world with out butter. I can't believe they considered it a delicacy.
The Genoese people were very smart along with the Romans and Chinese and so many others. Salt is definitely a great substance in this world. I don't know where the world would have been with out the discovery of salt.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Chapter 5
Overall I felt that this chapter could have related to salt a little bit more. I thought that the Venetians were very smart people. They were able to make tons of money over salt, when others could have traded just like they did. I always thought that crossing the seven seas meant crossing many different sees, so I was shocked when it meant you sailed over a strip called the seven seas that lasted 25 miles.
The Venetians were very smart when it came to getting salt. The ponds they produced seem quite amazing, they would have been cool to see. It was cool that the people of Venice were able to come together in their time of need, no matter how different they were from one another.
This chapter leads us back to the Chinese again, every place we go China is connected in some way. I do not think that Venice should have caused so much trouble for the other salt countries, they were just trying to make a living like they were. I also do not think the the government had the right to tell the merchants how much and at what price they could sell their salt for. I think the Venetians took their power over salt just a little to far.
I always thought that the Italians were the first ones to discover pasta. I never dreamt that it actually came from the Chinese. I also never knew that it sometimes came from the flower of a tree, how weird. I would say based on Marc Polo's book that he definitely went to China.
The Venetians were very smart when it came to getting salt. The ponds they produced seem quite amazing, they would have been cool to see. It was cool that the people of Venice were able to come together in their time of need, no matter how different they were from one another.
This chapter leads us back to the Chinese again, every place we go China is connected in some way. I do not think that Venice should have caused so much trouble for the other salt countries, they were just trying to make a living like they were. I also do not think the the government had the right to tell the merchants how much and at what price they could sell their salt for. I think the Venetians took their power over salt just a little to far.
I always thought that the Italians were the first ones to discover pasta. I never dreamt that it actually came from the Chinese. I also never knew that it sometimes came from the flower of a tree, how weird. I would say based on Marc Polo's book that he definitely went to China.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Chapter 4
This chapter was definitely not my favorite. It was all about fish, and I don't even really like fish. I thought it was good that the Romans made salt affordable even to the poor people. I thought it was stupid when they decided to tax salt during the war. The Romans were very smart to come out and make their own salt factories instead of relying on the Etruscans. It is really weird that they sometimes paid their army in salt, I think if they tried that in society today the army would just laugh at the government. I never knew that the word salary came from this and that the word soldier then originated. That is really cool.
The Romans were very smart and conservative people. They were able to get usable salt in many ways. They always used every part of the fish in some way, and they were able to make very many different dishes with every type of fish. It is really cool that the Romans were able to create four different types of sauces with fish. They were very crafty people. It was really neat how the Romans ended up using garum in some of their medicines. Who ever knew that fish liquid was a good medicine!
While some of the Romans praised garum, others thought it was the worst thing ever created. I guess it goes along with peoples food tastes today, everyone is different. It is a little weird that the Romans believe purple dye was discovered by Hercules's dog. The fish were able to provide everything the Romans needed. I never knew that fish were so useful!!! It was cool how they later found out that the purple color in the water around salt was caused by the element bromine. Who would have ever known? Fish are amazing. I wonder if it is a good or bad thing that garum disappeared along with the Roman Empire?
The Romans were very smart and conservative people. They were able to get usable salt in many ways. They always used every part of the fish in some way, and they were able to make very many different dishes with every type of fish. It is really cool that the Romans were able to create four different types of sauces with fish. They were very crafty people. It was really neat how the Romans ended up using garum in some of their medicines. Who ever knew that fish liquid was a good medicine!
While some of the Romans praised garum, others thought it was the worst thing ever created. I guess it goes along with peoples food tastes today, everyone is different. It is a little weird that the Romans believe purple dye was discovered by Hercules's dog. The fish were able to provide everything the Romans needed. I never knew that fish were so useful!!! It was cool how they later found out that the purple color in the water around salt was caused by the element bromine. Who would have ever known? Fish are amazing. I wonder if it is a good or bad thing that garum disappeared along with the Roman Empire?
Chapter 3
So now that we have covered the Egyptians and the Chinese we are moving onto the Celts. It is extremely cool how salt was able to preserve the bodies and materials that were discovered in the side of the mountain. It stinks that the Celts did not leave any type of records behind, now we have to find out about them from different civilizations. Stories are never the same when told by outsiders.
Up until this chapter I thought that the Egyptians were the only ones to bury possessions with them, but I guess I was wrong. When some 1,000 Celt bodies were discovered we found out that they also buried some of there possessions with them. I praise the Celts for becoming the first society to come up with salt-cured ham. I love ham!!! I am glad though that we did not carry on the tradition of giving the best ham to the greatest warrior. Its cool how the Celts way has carried into the Scottish venison.
It is kind of sad that the Celts were able to do so many great things with salt, yet they were never able to fuse into a nation. When it comes down to it without the Celts the Romans would not have become such a strong nation. This book just keeps getting more and more interesting!
Up until this chapter I thought that the Egyptians were the only ones to bury possessions with them, but I guess I was wrong. When some 1,000 Celt bodies were discovered we found out that they also buried some of there possessions with them. I praise the Celts for becoming the first society to come up with salt-cured ham. I love ham!!! I am glad though that we did not carry on the tradition of giving the best ham to the greatest warrior. Its cool how the Celts way has carried into the Scottish venison.
It is kind of sad that the Celts were able to do so many great things with salt, yet they were never able to fuse into a nation. When it comes down to it without the Celts the Romans would not have become such a strong nation. This book just keeps getting more and more interesting!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Chapter 2
WOW.... this book just keeps amazing me. First the Chinese and now the Egyptians. Never could I have imagined that salt was connected to so many things in history. I always thought that bread had been discovered in the U.S. but now I realize that it obviously was not.
At first I was wondering how this chapter was going to relate to salt but then it finally did. It is cool to see how the Egyptians handled salt compared to how the Chinese did. The Chinese were able to discover natural gas, but the Egyptians were able to discover food upon food and they used it to preserve their dead.The techniques in how they got the salt were also the same and yet different. The Egyptians did not dig holes into the ground like the Chinese did, but they did boil water.
It was pretty awesome how the Egyptians were able to figure out the preserving of meat. It is weird how the the Egyptians were so crazy on fish but would not eat pig. In the world today we seem to eat ten times more pig than we do fish. It is amazing that the Egyptians had many different kinds of salt. I never knew there were more than a few kinds.
Egypt trading salt reminds me of the U.S. trading oil. The Egyptians trading salt for everything just like we trade money for oil. I can not believe what the world of the Egyptians would have been like with out the discovery of salt. PRAISE SALT!!
At first I was wondering how this chapter was going to relate to salt but then it finally did. It is cool to see how the Egyptians handled salt compared to how the Chinese did. The Chinese were able to discover natural gas, but the Egyptians were able to discover food upon food and they used it to preserve their dead.The techniques in how they got the salt were also the same and yet different. The Egyptians did not dig holes into the ground like the Chinese did, but they did boil water.
It was pretty awesome how the Egyptians were able to figure out the preserving of meat. It is weird how the the Egyptians were so crazy on fish but would not eat pig. In the world today we seem to eat ten times more pig than we do fish. It is amazing that the Egyptians had many different kinds of salt. I never knew there were more than a few kinds.
Egypt trading salt reminds me of the U.S. trading oil. The Egyptians trading salt for everything just like we trade money for oil. I can not believe what the world of the Egyptians would have been like with out the discovery of salt. PRAISE SALT!!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Chapter 1
When first given the task to read this book I thought I would be really bored. I could not fathom that salt could be connected to history in any interesting way. Man was I wrong.
I always knew that China was ahead in technology but I did not know they were that far ahead. It is weird how salt played such a role in China's history. I thought it was kind of weird how they revolved their lives around salt. It was cool how salt led to a lot of discoveries for the Chinese, like the digging of the mines. It was really neat how they discovered the art of pickling through salt. Over all I learned a lot from this chapter, it was very interesting. I think it is interesting how salt is in a lot of different things, like gun powder, food sauces, and so many other things. We still use salt for all these things today.
Who would have known that what the Chinese were doing so long ago would be used so frequently in the world today? I wonder how the Chinese were so much more efficient than the rest of the world? The Chinese are still ahead of the world today, some things never change. If this book keeps going this way it will be quite interesting.
I always knew that China was ahead in technology but I did not know they were that far ahead. It is weird how salt played such a role in China's history. I thought it was kind of weird how they revolved their lives around salt. It was cool how salt led to a lot of discoveries for the Chinese, like the digging of the mines. It was really neat how they discovered the art of pickling through salt. Over all I learned a lot from this chapter, it was very interesting. I think it is interesting how salt is in a lot of different things, like gun powder, food sauces, and so many other things. We still use salt for all these things today.
Who would have known that what the Chinese were doing so long ago would be used so frequently in the world today? I wonder how the Chinese were so much more efficient than the rest of the world? The Chinese are still ahead of the world today, some things never change. If this book keeps going this way it will be quite interesting.
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