“ASin”

December 30, 2023

The common Filipino word for salt is “asin”. As you can imagine, there are many jokes and puns around this word.

“Why did the doctor say to stop eating salt?”

“Because it’s “a sin”!”

There are many artisan salts through out the Philippines. Asín tibuok of Bohol that has the resemblance of a dinosaur egg. The hard salt blocks, duldul, from Guimaras. All varied in how they are harvested and used in everyday cooking. In 1995 a law in the Philippines was passed requiring all salt to be iodized. This slowed the production of these regional, artisanal salts. They were being replaced by factory produced salts.

Two years ago, I stumbled upon a YouTube video about an ancient way of cultivating salt from sea water. (The Finest Sea Salt in the Philippines Is In Danger) It just so happens, that this salt was being harvested from Botolan, Philippines on a farm called Sambales Beach Farm. The family on this farm had passed on this traditional process through many generations. Sifting the salt water through ash and sand, making the salt very mineral rich. After watching the way this special salt was harvested, I had to get my hands on some.

This last year my sweet mother in-law and father in-law were on vacation in Iba, Zambales, their hometown. I recalled the artisan salt from Botolan. I asked if she would mind traveling to farm in Botolan to pick up a few pounds for me. “Oh Anak, we have salt from the market in Pangasinan. That’s ok.” I know this salt would also be delicious, but I pressed on to ask if she could pretty please go to Botolan, Zambales for this special salt. I knew I was rolling the dice on this, since my in-laws were set to come back in about one week. The next day my mother in-law gave me a call to let me know that she had gone to visit the farm in Botolan. And she also let me know that the family running the farm are her cousins! Not in the same way that your neighbor in the States is from the same city as your family, either. Truly, their parents are siblings. She couldn’t keep from giggling. She said that since they were family, they gave us a little “extra” gift. A two for one.

This rare and artisanal salt is called asin sa buy-o. The salt itself is flaky and briny. The fragrance of the palm leaves that envelop the salt is intoxicating. It is a perfect pair to grilled meats or my favorite ripe fruit.

If you’re curious about the salt making process and want to see it up close and personal, Sambali Beach Farm is available for vacationers to enjoy. Sambali Beach Farm