Kemah Natural Spring Salt is an important local salt product made in Kemah district of Erzincan by traditionally evaporating naturally saline spring water. It is protected by a geographical indication. Kemah is also one of Türkiye’s clearest examples for understanding the distinction between rock salt and spring salt.
You can explore related material in the Spring Salt Atlas section.
Geography of Kemah
Kemah is a mountainous district southwest of Erzincan, developed along the Karasu valley, one of the major tributaries of the Euphrates system. The region is influenced by the Munzur Mountains and the surrounding high, rugged topography.
Mountainous relief, deep valleys and fractured geological structures create complex hydrogeological conditions for groundwater circulation.
How Does Kemah Spring Salt Form?
The TÜRKPATENT registration document associates the formation of Kemah Natural Spring Salt with groundwater passing through rock-salt deposits in the Munzur Mountains. Groundwater dissolves salt-bearing layers and returns to the surface as saline water.
The principal raw material in Kemah is therefore not solid rock salt extracted directly from a mine. Production begins with naturally mineralised saline spring water.
Traditional Evaporation Method
According to the Erzincan Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, the saline solution is crystallised using traditional evaporation, particularly during the summer months.
Water placed in shallow ponds evaporates gradually through solar heat, ambient temperature and air movement. As the water volume decreases, sodium chloride concentration rises and crystals begin to form.
Seasonality
Summer is especially important in the traditional spring-salt production system. High temperatures, low rainfall and strong evaporation provide natural energy for the process. The production calendar is therefore directly connected to the local climate.
Geographical Indication: Protected Designation of Origin
Kemah Natural Spring Salt was registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office as a designation of origin on 3 September 2021 under registration number 880.
A designation of origin identifies a product whose characteristics are essentially linked to the natural and human factors of a specific geographical area. For Kemah salt, the geological origin of the spring water and the traditional production method are central elements of this local connection.
Salt and Local Culture
Spring saltworks are more than production facilities. In regions using traditional methods, the work calendar, distribution of water, collection of crystals and storage of the product form a body of local knowledge.
Unlike standard industrial processes, this knowledge is often based on field experience, observation of climate and practices passed from one generation to another.
Importance for the Rural Economy
In sparsely populated mountainous districts such as Kemah, adding value to local products can be important for the rural economy. A geographical indication makes the link between the product name and its geographical origin visible and may help preserve local production culture.
Hydrogeological Sensitivity
The sustainability of spring-salt production depends on continuity of the natural water source. Groundwater recharge areas, precipitation, snowmelt, permeable geological units and fault systems can all influence spring discharge.
For this reason, protecting spring salt requires attention not only to the production area but also to the wider hydrogeological system feeding the source.
Environmental Considerations
Traditional evaporation uses solar energy and therefore has a different energy profile from high-temperature industrial evaporators. Nevertheless, land use by evaporation ponds, management of spring discharge, saline drainage and protection of nearby freshwater systems remain important issues.
Preventing unwanted mixing between the natural saline spring and surrounding freshwater resources, maintaining the physical organisation of the production site and managing waste are central aspects of environmental sustainability.
Spring Salt, Not Mined Rock Salt
Terminology is especially important in the Kemah case. Although the product is geologically associated with rock-salt deposits, its production method means that the final product is defined as natural spring salt. This is not the same process as extracting solid rock salt directly from a mine.
Kemah in the Türkiye Spring Salt Atlas
Kemah is one of the principal reference areas in the Türkiye Spring Salt Atlas because of its official geographical-indication registration, documented traditional production method, naturally saline groundwater system geologically fed by rock-salt deposits and continuing rural production culture.
Sources
- TÜRKPATENT – Kemah Natural Spring Salt, Registration No. 880
- Erzincan Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry – 2025 Provincial Briefing
Where and How Should Rock Salt Be Purchased?
This page is a historical and geological inventory of a region, mine or natural salt source. No automatic origin relationship should be inferred between the site discussed here and any commercial product sold on the market. The actual origin of a product should be checked from the producer and origin declarations on its own packaging.
When purchasing salt for food use, the package should be checked for traceability information such as the name and address of the producer or food business operator, establishment registration number, batch or lot number, date information, net quantity and an accurate product description.
- Retail rock salt and everyday use: Tuzcu Baba and cankirituzu.com
- Premium crystalline rock salt: Kristal Tuz
- Wholesale and B2B purchasing within Türkiye: Berrak Tuz
- International sales and export: TürkSalt