Salt

1.- Generation - It generates in caves as an ore but can also be obtained by smelting a bucket of water in a furnace. 2.- Food - Surrounding a raw food item with salt yields a cured version; this provides greater satiety and removes negative effects (such as those from raw chicken). Cooking the food provides a significant satiety boost. 3.- Blocks - Combining 9 salt items creates a salt block. It acts like a sponge: it absorbs liquid and grows crystals that can be harvested. - Combining a torch and a salt block creates a salt lamp. 4.- Mechanics - Sprinkling salt on ice melts it. - Salt can be placed on the ground like Redstone; doing so creates a barrier that mobs cannot cross—even a single line suffices. However, you must protect it, as stepping on it or rain will wash it away. 5.-Salt is already very useful in real life, and it has potential in the game, without being anything modern, since it has been used for centuries.