A SALT producer SAYS
Once one of the most expensive commodities in the world, salt has become an everyday ingredient without which the art of cooking is almost unimaginable. Jannie Burger and his wife, Elfie, run Khoisan Hand-harvested Sea Salt in Velddrif, where the ancient shell beds and pure saltwater produce mineral-rich salt with a unique taste. They explain more about the journey from pan to pot.
Tell us about the history of salt production in Velddrif.
Velddrif is well known for fishing and in the days before refrigeration, salt was an important way of conserving fish. Bokkoms (whole, salted harders) soon became a staple in our area and remain to this day. The salt and fish industries still go hand in hand, as we supply the snoek sellers and boats with salt who use it to keep sardines fresh until they reach the fish factory.
How did Khoisan Hand-harvested Sea Salt come about?
Yntze and Joan Schrauwen, the owners of the business, moved to Velddrif from Johannesburg in 1994. Yntze, a retired engineer, became interested in the local salt works and then discovered a
