FOOD ADVENTURES 99
travel for movers
& shakers
Located on Bolivia’ s Uyuni salt flats, the largest in the world, the exclusive 27-room boutique hotel PALACIO DE SAL, the Palace of Salt, is constructed almost entirely from salt. Initially built in 1993 for tourists making the long journey out to the salt flats, the hotel was luxed up in 2007 and has become a destination in its own right. Roughly one million blocks of naturally-harvested salt were used to build floors, walls and ceiling, as well as furniture and even sculptures created by local artisans. At the end of a day, soak in the salt water swimming pool or marvel at the clear nights sky from the property’ s own observatory. www. palaciodesal. com
The age old adage to‘ pass the salt’ takes on a whole new meaning at the stunning ANANTARA KIHAVAH resort in the Maldives. At Salt, a component of the property’ s signature Sea. Fire. Salt. Sky cluster of restaurants, a resident salt sommelier, known affectionately as the Salt Guru, helps diners to pair their food with the perfect seasoning from a selection of 11 salt varieties. Order the lemongrass and ginger-infused red snapper, baked to perfection on a Himalayan salt brick, or give your wagyu steak a little intensity with a sprinkling of porcini mushroom salt to bring out the most intense flavour. Salt plans to have more than 25 salts on offer by the end of the year. www. kihavah-maldives. anantara. com
Anyone who’ s enjoyed a well-made margarita knows salt can contrast a cocktail’ s sweetness or add depth to a savoury concoction. Bar manager Jared Ashdown at the EMPORIUM HOTEL in Brisbane uses Murray River pink sea salt from South Australia to cut the tartness of the cherry tomatoes used in his Australian Mary, a modern take on the classic Bloody Mary, and now the city’ s favourite hangover remedy. www. emporiumhotel. com. au
Off the Danish coast, the island of LAESO has been producing world-class salt since the Middle Ages. During the dry summers, the local water supply becomes laced with mineral salt, earning the island its place in local folklore as the feasting place of the Norse gods, the Æsir. Despite the ancient salt processing virtually destroying the island through erosion and deforestation, limited salt production has resumed and now Laeso produces the world’ s most expensive salt, at US $ 26 per kilogram. More than 60,000 tourists visit the island each year, with plans to revitalise the diary industry to produce salted cheeses and meats, and turn an abandoned church into a salt-themed spa.
Salt has long found its way into the wellness practices of cultures around the world, including the ancient Greeks, who believed that halo-therapy, inhaling of pure salt, could alleviate respiratory and skin problems. On the tranquil island of Margaret, ten minutes from Budapest, the DANU- BIUS HEALTH SPA follows this philosophy, with a specialist salt cave constructed from Dead Sea rock salt. Guests can relax inside this salt-lined grotto, calmed by serene music and special mood lighting. www. danubiushotels. com www. jetsetter. hk