Little C's Chicken Chili

Prior to industrialization, it was extremely expensive and labor intensive to harvest the mass quantities of salt necessary for food preservation and seasoning. This made salt an extremely valuable commodity. Entire economies were based on salt production and trade.

In the Iron Age, the British evaporated salt by brine or boiling seawater from salt spri­ngs in tiny clay pots over open fires. Roman salt making entailed boiling the seawater in large lead lined pans. Salt was used as currency in ancient Rome, and the roots of the words "soldier" and "salary" can be traced to Latin words related to giving or receiving salt. During the Middle Ages, salt was transported along roads built for that purpose. One of the most famous of these roads is the Old Salt Route in Northern Germany, which ran from the salt mines to shipping ports.

Salt taxes and monopolies have led to wars and protests everywhere from China to parts of Africa. Anger over the salt tax was one of the causes of the French Revolution. In colonial India, only the British government could produce and profit from the salt production conducted by Indians living on the coast. Gandhi chose to protest this monopoly in 1930 and marched for 23 days with his followers. When he arrived on the coast, Gandhi violated the law by boiling a chunk of salty mud. This march became known as the Salt March to Dandi, or the Salt Satyagraha. People across India began making their own salt in protest, and the march became an important milestone in the struggle for Indian independence.

Research Source: How Stuff Works

If you’re looking for a change of pace from beef, this chicken chili recipe is a hearty alternative.

Little C’s Chicken Chili

Copyrighted 2013, Christine’s Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 pound ground chicken

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoon dried basil

1 (10.0 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 (4.0 oz.) can diced green chilies

1 (15.5 oz.) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon minced garlic

green onions, chopped for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir and cook about 10 minutes, until tender. Add ground chicken, crumble meat, and cook until no longer pink.

Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Enjoy!