DENPASAR (indo.com): Bali's salt-making process has attracted Japanese tourists, Pan Losi, a traditional salt maker, has said here.

"Almost everyday, Japanese tourists come to see how we make salt," said Pan Posi, who runs salt-pans in Goa Lawah beach, in Klungkung.

The Japanese visitors seem to be happy with what they witness. According to them, the salt made in Bali has typical taste, different from that made in other provinces.

The salt making process is simple in nature, requiring only physical strength, as it demands extensive toils. Leveling the sand, the initial part of the procedure, takes place in the early morning, between 5.00 to 6.00a.m. to prepare the pans. Seawater is then collected through a teku (dipper of palm leaves - now replaced with pail) and poured into the pans. A pan of 10 by 10 meters requires two-hours pouring by two people to get it fully filled.

He said that the income generated from the salt making is uncertain, depending on the weather. If the weather is good, he can produce between 10 to 20 rontong (measuring container capable of holding 2.5 to 3 kilos of salt). Each rontong is sold for Rp.3,000. The price fluctuates according to weather. During the dry season, the price decreases sharply but during the wet season, it is a lot more difficult to process the salt. Some overseas tourists even purchase his product. "A Japanese tourist once bought the salt for Rp.10,000 a rontong," he explains.

Agung, a collector who used to buy the salt, before exported to Japan, the salt had to be processed more hygienically. For the sake of security, plastic is sued to cover the products instead of Balinese danyuh (plaited by coconut leaves).

The salt produced by pan Losi contains iodine, which can be proven when a wound is subject to the salt water. The wound becomes stingingly painful and it usually heals the wound in five days.

As he is getting older, Pan Losi is no longer directly involved in the salt making. He just oversees the works done by his sons and nephews.

He said that the salt has been exported to Japan.