Why don't the offerings and addimús to Obatala contain salt?

The wise father Obatala loves sweet offerings like rice pudding, meringue, milk, and custard.

Obbatalá also likes to receive fruits with white pulp such as soursop and pomegranate and among the herbs or ewes he prefers coconut, white canutillo, acacia, cotton, mugwort, saffron, among others, in most of his offerings predominates the white color as a symbol of purity and peace.

As for animals, those who immolate themselves must be white such as doves, guineas, chickens and white goats.

But Obbatalá eats a soft diet and his food is made in a very simple way, because the Orisha does not like spicy foods, and salt is a taboo for him.

Patakí: Obatalá decides that his meals and foods do not have salt

This Pataki tells that one fine day in the Obatalá palace a great banquet took place that included all kinds of food.

But Obbatalá, with the intention of entertaining his guests and serving them, had not eaten. The wise old man reserved the last remaining plate for himself to eat after the others left.

But when Obatalá was getting ready to eat, he showed up at his house Babalu Aye who, due to his difficulties in walking, could not arrive on time.

Father Orisha always benevolent, willingly gave him the remaining food and Babalú ate until he felt very satisfied.

The missing ingredient becomes taboo

When everyone had finally left, Obatalá asked one of his cooks to prepare amalá (a mixture of flour and other ingredients) with lots of cascarilla of egg to be able to satisfy their hunger.

The servant quickly went to fulfill his master's wish and began to cook what had been directed, but to his surprise when he had almost finished the dish, he discovered that the salt had run out.

The cook apologized to the Orisha and told him that, with so many guests in the house, the salt had run out.

But Obbatalá was so hungry that he replied that he might just prepare the food, without salt.

A while later, he sat down at the table and the cook presented him with the dish he had ordered and the meal was so pleasant that he arranged for all his food to be cooked without salt from now on.

That is why today we deliver offerings to Obatala without salt so as not to anger the Orisha.