Salt – Since early times, salt was used to preserve food and an important trading commodity. During the Roman empire, salt rations given to Roman soldiers were known as “salarium argentum”, the forerunner of the English word “salary”. Salt was extracted from the Mediterranean sea by natural evaporation from the scorching sun and preserved in terracotta jars. In Malta and Gozo, salt pans, dug out of limestone rock and dating back to the Roman times, can still be seen in various locations. Today salt crystals are still extracted using the same traditional methods.