Rock salt.
In the past, people made rock salt from seawater. First,
wood is burned down to ashes and the ashes placed in a
large woven basket called a balolang. Then seawater is
poured into the basket. The water and ash drip out the
bottom and are collected, and then dried in a shallow metal
pan called a ganga over a fire until dry. The dried salt
looks like a cake and can be cut into squares, called
teltel or kasin ang bato. Years ago people would use
this salt as their viand when there was no other food to eat
with their rice. The square of rock salt is pressed into the
rice to flavor it. A square can last for a long time. They are
kept by the side of a clay firebox to keep them dry.
kasin ang bato