Chicken Salt on the Menu in New Documentary

Salt of the Earth, the story of the South Australian man who invented Chicken Salt, had its world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival last month.

The Brisbane production Salt of the Earth was confirmed to have its world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival, screening between October 20 and 29.

The homegrown documentary tells the story of Peter Brinkworth, the South Australian man who invented Chicken Salt.

While Chicken Salt is now a ubiquitous household item, this wasn’t the case when, back in the early 1970s, Peter and his wife Helen moved to the rural town of Gawler.

Peter ran a wholesale business and hot chicken and chips shop out of the local theatre, the Ozone.

To try to make his hot chicken skin even tastier, he created a special salt.

Soon enough, his customers were putting it on everything – chips, pies, fish, chico rolls and dim sums.

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More importantly, other fish and chip stores in the region (heavily populated by British expats at the time) started requesting Chicken Salt from Peter’s wholesale business.

By the late 1970s, Chicken Salt was booming in the region as an add-on to Peter’s business.

Sadly, a personal tragedy required Peter to sell the business to the Mitani Family in 1979.

Recognising the unique nature of the salt, the Mitani Group commercialised the product and has been selling it around the world ever since.

Despite this sale, and the plethora of brand names you see in your cupboard today, Peter maintains that the original recipe – held secret for more than 40 years – tastes even better.

The story behind Peter Brinkworth’s invention is being told by Brisbane filmmakers Jacob Richardson and Thomas van Kalken.

Article supplied with thanks to 96five.

Feature image: Screenshot