Ember & Grain · Field Notes · Salts · Origin Atlas · Nº 03
Sal de Colima
of the Pacific shore
Cuyutlán, Colima, México. A lagoon, a long dry season, and salt made by hand since before the Spanish came.
18°55′ N · 104°04′ W
South of Manzanillo the coast runs flat and straight. On one side is the Pacific, loud on a beach of black sand. On the other is Laguna de Cuyutlán, long and still and bright. At the far end of the lagoon sits the village of Cuyutlán, and around it the salt works. From March into June there is no rain. The sun is hard, the wind comes off the water, and the beds turn white.
In our jars
Sal de Colima is the base of Ember & Grain Pecan Wood and Apple Wood. Shop the salts →
Field notes
| Origin | Laguna de Cuyutlán, Colima, México |
| Position | 18°55′ N · 104°04′ W |
| Season | March to June |
| Method | Sun and wind, in shallow eras |
| Character | Coarse, unrefined, nothing added |
| Minerals | Magnesium, calcium, potassium |
| In our jars | Pecan Wood · Apple Wood |
Continue in The Origins Atlas
The rest of this chapter lives in the book: the full story of the place, how the salt is made, the people who keep the tradition, and the hand-drawn map.
- The Place · salt and the crown
- The Making · wells, sun and wind
- The Salineros · since 1925
Sources: Manzanillo Sun (July 2019); Visit Mexico, “Las Salineras de Cuyutlán”; Wikipedia, “Cuyutlán.” Imagery is illustrative and AI-generated.