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| baskets of finished salt awaiting pick up |
SALT MAKING IN AMED BALI
Making salt from sea water is a traditional livelihood in the Amed area. Nowadays only a couple small communities, namely at Amed village and Jemeluk, still make salt. There, out on the beach, you can see large open areas full of rows and rows of wooden trays filled with slowly evaporating sea water transforming into salt, as well as strange large conical structures and plots of square ‘fields’ of dark soil, all resting under the lovely gaze of Mt. Agung, Bali’s sacred mountain.
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| salt-making fields under the gaze of Mt. Agung from Amed |
Several generations ago the beaches at Lipah, Tulamben and other villages were also filled with these salt making structures. Nowadays those beachside properties sport low-key boutique resorts. Many local families have given up the tedious, low-income salt making profession.
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| salt-making trays at Amed beach with Mt. Agung in background |
But a few poor families continue with their salt-making tradition. For outsiders it’s quite an interesting sight- the rows and rows of wooden trays lining the beach. Whenever I pass them, I always think, “Wow, look at that unusual sight! I wonder how they go about making salt?!” And so, one day I stopped by to find out. Turned out the process is considerably more complicated and time-consuming than I’d guessed. In all, it takes about 8-10 days to turn sea water into salt here in Amed. This is how it goes:
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| carrying sea water to the salt-making fields |
Step 1: Take sea water from the sea and pour it into prepared soil fields. Workers carry the water in double-bucket shoulder poles.
Step 2: Smooth the soil in fields to allow even drying. Allow salt water to dry/ evaporate for three days.
Step 4: Rake the dried, salty soil paddies to break them up.
Step 5: Put broken up soil into the cones.
Step 6: Stamp down soil inside the cones.
Step 7: Collect more sea water and pour it over soil in the cones.
Step 8: Allow sea water to seep down through the soil.
Step 9: Gather the filtered salty water from below the cones. Step 10: Pour this water into the drying trays.
Step 11: Allow to dry and evaporate for 3-4 days. Now they have salt!
Step 12: Collect fresh salt in baskets for sale.
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| preparing the cones for salt-making |
Quite unfortunately for salt makers, they have no outside market for their salt. Not even cities in Bali like nearby Amlapura or the capital, Denpassar, let alone to Jakarta. Their salt is all sold locally to Amed area families. It only fetches 1000- 1500 rp/ kilo. (about 10- 15 cents/ kilo). A salt maker can make about 70-100 kilos/ week. If all sold, he can make 70,000- 100,000 rp/ week. (about $8- $11) Half of that goes to land rental. With the remaining profit he can feed his family for about a week. So it seems he can just about make ends meet for his labor.
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| breaking up the salt-laden earth |
On a bright note, according to an article I read recently on the Amed salt, some restaurants and even big resorts in south Bali have begun to order and use Amed salt for cooking. Let’s hope its popularity with big-scale restaurants continues to grow. Perhaps the local salt-makers could get a better price for their efforts?
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| salt fields, cone and the Bali Sea at Amed |
In the meantime, a local man has opened Cafe Garam (‘garam’ means ‘salt’ ) with the hope of promoting Amed’s salt-making. To this end, the Cafe has a display desk with pictures and step by step descriptions of the salt making process. Any of the staff will eagerly explain the process in more detail to any curious visitors. One of the large cones and a row of the drying tray also stand in the center of the cafe. Cafe Garam sells Amed salt in various decorative boxes and bags, of course at prices much higher than the 1000rp/kg local rate. The cafe itself is an open-aired circular restaurant made of wood. It’s very relaxing and cosy. Beyond the cafe, out towards the beach sit salt-making trays, cones and fields. It’s just a stroll outside to take a look firsthand at all the curious structures. And, if you get up super early, or luck out midday, you’ll also get to watch salt-makers in action. It’s a cool place to stop by for a visit while staying in Amed.
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If you’re heading to Amed, check out my hiking guidebook:
Hiking in Bali 20 Hikes in Amed: Bali’s Remote Northeast Coast
My Hiking in Bali guidebook includes detailed information for staying in Amed plus hiking preparations such as what to take hiking, getting to/from hike entry points, maps and photos. The book begins with a thorough introduction to visiting Bali, including all the essential information tourists need for arrival and settling in.
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You might also like:
Life of Mackerel Fisherman in Amed
Amed, Bali’s Remote Northeast Coast
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Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
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