Did you know?
In 1790s West Africa, eating salt meant you were rich
Explorer Mungo Park wrote that in the interior “the greatest of all luxuries is salt.” He saw children suck rock salt as if it were sugar, and noted that to say a man ate salt with his food was to say he was rich.
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Cite this page
For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.
The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). In 1790s west africa, eating salt meant you were rich. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/salt-greatest-luxury-africa
“In 1790s West Africa, eating salt meant you were rich.” The Salt Almanac, 8 Nov. 2026, saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/salt-greatest-luxury-africa. Accessed [today's date].
“In 1790s West Africa, eating salt meant you were rich.” The Salt Almanac. Last modified November 8, 2026. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/salt-greatest-luxury-africa.
Original sources
- Park, M. Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa. 1799. https://archive.org/details/travelsininteri01renngoog