Salt

Salt is a white crystal that we sprinkle on food. It makes food taste more flavorful. Salt comes from the ocean and from the ground. Our bodies need a little bit of salt to stay healthy. But too much salt is not good for us.

Where Salt Comes From

Some salt comes from ocean water. The water is put in shallow pools and the sun dries it up. What is left behind is sea salt. Other salt comes from under the ground. Miners dig up big rocks of salt from old, dry seabeds.

A chunk of pink rock salt from deep inside a salt mine.
A chunk of pink rock salt from deep inside a salt mine. (James St. John / Wikimedia Commons)

Why We Use Salt

Salt has been used for thousands of years. Long ago, it was used to keep meat and fish from going bad. This is called curing. Today, we mostly use salt to make food taste good. Salt is found in almost every kitchen in the world.

Fun Facts

  • Long ago, salt was so valuable that it was used as money.
  • The word salary comes from the word salt.
  • There is enough salt in the ocean to cover all the land on Earth.

Did You Know?

The Dead Sea is so salty that people can float on top of the water without even trying!