11-26-2020, 03:33 AM
I was talking to a local girl about local cuisine and how it was so salty.
She said that her grandfather had told her that in the old times, when there was a drought, Hawaiians would get fresh water by diving in areas of the ocean where they knew the fresh water came up from springs, and filled up vessels for people to drink. While the water was potable, it was still pretty salty, and any food that tasted less salty than the drinking water appeared to have less flavor, so they added more salt to food to compensate. Salty food just became the expectation.
I have no idea if any of this is true, but that was her story and she was sticking to it.
She said that her grandfather had told her that in the old times, when there was a drought, Hawaiians would get fresh water by diving in areas of the ocean where they knew the fresh water came up from springs, and filled up vessels for people to drink. While the water was potable, it was still pretty salty, and any food that tasted less salty than the drinking water appeared to have less flavor, so they added more salt to food to compensate. Salty food just became the expectation.
I have no idea if any of this is true, but that was her story and she was sticking to it.