Sal (SAL)

Sal, otherwise known as salt, refers to both the trade material and the primary currency of Balaqalneyis. Its sole origin is from the Bloodless Palm in the center of the country and as such, has exceedingly high value across all countries and was determined by the Qalneyans to be the only currency they would ever need. As a result of its uniqueness, it is considered an accurate basis for exchange rates by most.
Capitalization on sal as a spice began in roughly 200AC when cultural/spiritual wariness about the salt lake began to wane (helped by Sehndists' disregarding of it as a water source proper, and thus turning the 'liquid' into something else entirely). It took longer for it to be used in international trade, with the first recorded transaction using it as a currency appearing in 425AC. It was not noted as the official currency until Ghûn's establishment as the country's capital in 513AC and the modernization brought about by Krighourra Theb.
As A Currency:
Sal is sold primarily by weight in 10-Grain increments, with an additional, optional value sometimes being incurred by level of purity and refinement. It can take the form of either loose crystals or rocks (known as sachets, though they may be contained in pouches, vials, or anything to hand), or in cubed, waxed-paper-wrapped 100g cakes (usually for long-distance traveling).
Sal bought as coarse crystals, rocks, or cakes is typically ground to preferred fineness by the end customer if it is to be used immediately in cooking, chemistry/alchemy, etc. Otherwise it is simply preserved for continual use as a currency, typically in a special sal jar or sal chest to resist crumbling and thus loss. In accumulating sal as raw-funds wealth, individuals or establishments may re-form the sal into blocks or shapes, or the opposite -- grind down into crystals -- if more convenient. Mixing sal of different purchased purities (usually in an attempt to 'inflate' the lower purity's value) is known as 'dirty sal' and is made difficult by their color.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Crumbly, grainy mineral that takes crystalline form

Physical & Chemical Properties

Caustic in high concentrations

Geology & Geography

Bloodless Palm, Balaqalneyis

History & Usage

Everyday use

Currency, seasoning, chemical additive

Refinement

Sal may either be chipped directly from the lake shore (or from the flat, in the dry season) in its solid form or saltwater from the lake itself may be fetched; both are taken to a salt-house, and the solid sal is dissolved in water if necessary. Brine is then filtered and boiled at least once before being pooled in shallow pans for evaporation.
The number of times the brine is filtered and boiled leads to different purity levels and thus higher costs, with five cycles being the typical maximum. Each purity level is designated by "-night" (despite the filter/boil/evaporate process taking longer than a night), e.g., "one-night", "five-night", and are distinguished by their level of redness, with one-night sal being a dark pink and five-night sal being off-white.

Hazards

Skin/eye irritation, caustic in high concentrations and prolonged exposure

Environmental Impact

Soil infertility if spilled

Distribution

Trade & Market

Balaqalneyis, usually from Ghûn's salt-houses. Pel-dohest in Iyr is a large trading hub for the rest of the continent.

Storage

Airtight containers are best to preserve original quality, but low-humidity environments are acceptable. The smoother the container, the less likely grains are to be lost and thus weight/value to slowly decrease (likewise, minimal changing of container).

Type

Ore/Mineral

Value

Extremely high

Rarity

Rare

Odor

Briny, earthy

Taste

Salty

Color

Dark pink to off-white

Common State

Solid, or saturated water (brine)