Description
Sodium chloride
Kala namak salt (in Hindi kala: black and namak: salt) has a particular taste of sulfur. It is in fact the pink salt of the Himalayas, processed by hand in northern India. These rock salt crystals come from underground deposits that were formed by drying lakes and seas 200 million years ago. They are extracted from the mines of Khewra (Pakistani cashmere) in the heart of the Himalayan mountains.
The salt blocks of the Himalayas are heated for more than 24 hours in earthen jars with charcoal and seeds, including harad seeds. The preparation is then left to age for a few weeks. The salt obtained gains a dark pink colour and a taste reminiscent of the hard-boiled egg.
It is usually used in Indian street cuisine, through the chaat masala blend, and in Pakistani or Thai dishes. But it is also found in vegan dishes to remind the taste of the egg, as in the "scrambled" silky tofu for example. Kala Namak Salt enhances the flavour of a dressing, pickles, chutneys, avocados or fruit. Try it on purees, salads or white meats.
Known to ayurvedic medicine, this salt is rich in iron, which gives it its pink color, and improves digestion in general.
