| Description |
[National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea]
With no salt mines available in the country, seawater has long been the only source of salt in Korea. There were two principle traditional methods of salt production. Jayeom, or "boiled salt," was obtained by securing brine with a high concentration of salt from mudflats and boiling it down to salt crystals. The jayeom method, the oldest surviving records of which date back to the Goryeo Dynasty, was applied throughout the Joseon era. Cheonilyeon, or "solar salt," was introduced to Korea in 1907 and has been practiced until today. It refers to salt produced by simply evaporating seawater in the sun and wind.
These two traditional Korean methods of salt manufacturing are distinct for their production in mudflats. Korean sea salt produced from mudflats, or cheonilyeom, accounts for a whopping 86 percent of the global production of mudflat sea salt. Salt in Korea has developed distinctive associations with traditional beliefs due to its use as protection against fire or evil spirits. Further studies of the labor structure and manufacturing methods of traditional salt are expected to boost our understanding of the culture of Korean fishing villages and the ecology of Korean mudflats. The salt-producing mudflats along the western coast of the Korean Peninsula are also renowned for their views at sunset.
* As traditional salt making is not confined to any particular region or individual, no holders or holder groups have been recognized for this element. |
