Worth Its Salt

Just a quick writeup today, but I beg you to consider this question: What do you think is the most widely used grocery product in America? I don't have an answer for this, but if I could go door to door and look in every one's pantries, cupboards, refrigerators, freezers, or anywhere else food might be stored, I'd be willing to bet that one particular product is found in more homes than almost any other. I don't think it's Coca-Cola, Heinz Ketchup, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, or even the timeless American classic, Wonder Bread. No, I believe it's this:





Morton Salt.

What? Salt?

Before about 150 years ago, to be "worth one's salt" meant that person was exceptionally valuable, just like salt, because of its extreme rarity. However with the discovery of processes to get salt from the earth, the price of salt dropped to where it is now one of the cheapest commodities in the world. Salt is now so cheap, in fact, that you rarely find that grocery stores and chains like Wal-Mart and Target even bother to produce generic versions. Even baking soda, flour, or sugar can claim that mark.

With this in mind, picture a container of salt. What does it look like? Probably the one above. Even as someone with experience in cooking, I had a difficult time thinking of more than 2 more brands of salt. Even my spendthrift former roomate who would almost never buy name brand anything had a container of Morton Salt in our cupboard before any of the other roomates moved in. It might have been the only name brand in the entire house (Even the ever-American Heinz Ketchup was not to be found).

Still not convinced? Think about this: Most people drink soda, but some prefer Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper, or even Tab if you're into that stuff. There are those people who don't drink it at all. Ketchup? Sure, every kid in America likes it, but there are those dirty rat bastards (oh hell, even this house), that will go with Hunts instead of Heinz, for reasons beyond me. Baking soda? Eh, generic brands are 1/2 the price. French's yellow mustard; not for those who prefer brown mustard! See what I'm saying? Even those companies with huge market shares have competition. Even in a house with a low-sodium diet such as mine has 3 different types of Morton Salt on hand.

What's the point of this post? Not much, really. Obviously Morton doesn't have the advertising power that Coke, Budweiser, Heinz, or any of the other big time brands does, but I challenge anyone to go to the grocery store and see what brands of salt are out there and I dare anyone to come back without telling me they saw a vast majority of the salt was Morton. Don't wanna take a trip to the store? Okay, go look now, I'd bet 90% of you will come back having seen that girl in the rain suit and umbrella.

Did you look? I'll wait...

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Okay, I've waited long enough? Am I right? Thought so.

What's my point? I'm not sure, but to think about this: Morton Salt is as pervasive in the average American household as the moustached man of Orwell's 1984 reality. It really is a remarkable feat, in days of mass marketing, people buying glamorous brands, and nearly unlimited consumer protection. Perhaps Mr. Morton really is worth his own weight. But of course, you'll have to take this whole post with a grain of salt.