Meet One Of The Last Salt Makers Keeping A 2,000-Year Old Mexican Tradition Alive | Still Standing

Indigenous people in Zapotitlán have been hand-making salt here for over 2,000 years. Today, producers can’t make enough money to sustain themselves. Many have abandoned their salt lands, but one producer is determined to keep his business alive.

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Meet One Of The Last Salt Makers Keeping A 2,000-Year Old Mexican Tradition Alive | Still Standing

[viniqf]

Being one of the last people to keep a certain tradition alive must be tough. Guy's working his ass off and can't even hire someone to help him because there isn't enough money.

[Reallysimiliartoagrandpa]

3 Tons in 6 weeks.... now that’s an absolutely insane amount of work that he’s doing, nothing but respect for that.

[ret]

This salt is probably bought for dirt cheap and sold in high end restaurants for a crazy amount. This people should start charging like crazy for this type of businesses

[analaracruz]

I'm Mexican and it just fills me with joy to know that there are so many people around the world (apparently from the comments mostly in the US) that are willing to help to preserve this kind of tradition. You guys deserve the world. 🥰

[georgemaherjr]

He makes $116 dollars a week, working from sun up to sun down, barefoot in the heat and he still has a great attitude about him. Respect 👊

[juice]

Everyone if you can, Juan’s link to his business is in the description of this video, please consider helping a hard working man like him

[SnailMan]

I’m glad he’s building a company to try and sell at a higher price. This stuff is worth more than he’s selling it for, for sure. He’s making steps in the right direction and I hope it gets better.

[apopompi]

I used to live in Puebla, and I once tasted the salt from zapotitlán when my wife and I were trying our luck with a prehispanic recipe for tamales, which called for the use of this salt and this salt only. Best flavor ever. Very strong, earthy, unique, made the whole difference. I thought people were crazy for saying that salt could taste different, until I tried this one. We got it in a small rural shop near Cholula for very cheap, and the old woman who ran the shop was surprised since almost no one knew it even existed. It came in an unlabeled plastic bag closed with a stappler!

[fanaticalplel]

He’s 41!? He looks like he’s in his early thirties or late 20s. Man looks young.

[investinstyle-financeinves]

I rarely think about salt production, but it was fascinating to see how an essential part of our diet is traditionally made.

[justsomeguywithagoatee]

Guy should start a GoFundMe page. I'd donate. Respect for keeping a tradition from being lost to time.

[zennvirus]

I once had the chance to taste the salt made in the salt ponds of Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosi, made with virtually the same process. That bag of salt lasted us for a long time, and to this day I consider it the tastiest salt ever. A few grains, properly crushed in a molcajete (bowl-shaped mortar) would season soups, steaks and many other dishes with that extra hint of earthen flavor packed in the salt. I hope he gets his brand running and earns enough to revitalize the place. Because it would be a serious loss if the salt pools were to vanish.

[jojomakes]

For the people concerned about eating salt that someone’s walked on with their bare feet, your processed factory food has been through _way_ more questionable things.

[ABSG]

Why isn’t this dude rich with the whole organic / no-chemical movement. Somebody help this guy!

[obviousness]

I would pay a premium price for this salt. See how it's made and knowing that I'm supporting small producers means a lot!

[psoteriou]

He needs a GoFundMe, some marketing, design and he's already got the back story. Best of luck!

[overlordvelvet]

As a Mexican Indigenous who's Guamare, Aztec and Mayan, I wanna help to keep this tradition alive.
We can't let traditions die.

[saulfraustomtz]

I'm from Mexico and I didn't knew about this, so thank you, I'll be in Puebla soon so I'll be sure to buy some salt

[josealejandro]

I saw a similar video in youtube. In Japan there is small community that produce the salt in a similar way. They get the water from the ocean and put it to the ground and wait until the water start drying to get the salt. The big difference is that the salt gets sold fast and is appreciate it in that country. I cannot believe we have this similar process in Mexico and that they sell the product for 10 pesos. I will make my research and buy from this guy if it is available. These are the traditions, techniques, and products that we must consume and appreciate.

[ivancaravantes]

He makes just a little over $6k a year, and moves 24 tons of salt in 12 months. It should be the other way around.