Lipichem
Kiphire | September 26
The people of Sanphure Village in Kiphire district have harvested salt for generations. While details on how it started remain vague, almost every person in Sanphure tells of the legend behind it.
The story speaks of a man acting as a spirit just to own the natural flowing saltwater in the area, ultimately resulting in the death of that person. People here say that the sacrifice was worth it, as the community till today continue to be engaged in salt making, something that has been passed through the generations.
Sanphure village, located 30 Km away from Kiphire town is one of the oldest villages in Kiphire district. The village was a blooming commercial hub for trading, not only for the people of Kiphire district but also for people as far as Zunheboto district.
The elders of the village explained that salt is derived from two sources. People harvest salt from natural flowing water in springs. Another method employed includes channelling the water underground, digging a well and separating the water from the salt through the use of a contraption made of bamboo straws and leaves from the marshlands. The wells in the latter method are usually 3 to 12 ft in depth and 2 to 4 ft in diameter depending on the location.
Finely sieved ash collected from households mixed with tree bark is also used to cement the edge of channel, helping in the separation of the salt from water. Once the saltwater reaches the well a hollow log is INSERT IGNOREed over a round slate stone, which has a small hole for salt to flow out. The salt is then collected and processed.
To produce the salt cakes, six drying pans are placed over a traditional hearth with constant fire to steam out the water. In the last pan, the slippery part of a tree bark is added in order to shape the salt cakes.
There are three varieties of salt made in Sanphure, with differing shapes and sizes. The first, purely for commercial purpose, is called “Amalakpu”; the second variety is “Kala,” which is used as a symbol of friendship and in challenges; and the third is ‘Tere,’ which is made only for specific occasions. The last variety is used as gift for treaties and to build better relationships amongst communities.
Today the village has more than 30 salt brims. On an average, each adult can produce 5-6 cakes of salt in a day. The elders in the village reveal that the salt here not only has economic value but is interwoven into the social and cultural fabric of the community.
One custom entails that only certain villages can buy salt directly from Sanphure village. Further, during the installation of a new salt brim, only male members are involved. A pig is killed at the source and parts of the pig like heart, liver and feet are skewered on bamboo spikes and placed near the well, where new brim is channelled. The process lasts more than a day. On the last day, all food is cooked only with salt water and not even a single drop of water is consumed till the sun sets. Further, as an offering, a cock is killed at the spot where the hollow trunk is to be placed.
With the coming of commercial salt making techniques, the traditional means of salt making has lost its flavour. People in the village admit that to compete in the market, new techniques need to be adopted. However they also hope that a balance can be obtained between traditional and modern techniques, thus ensuring that the time honoured customs of salt making in Sanphure are not lost.
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