Pink Himalayan salt
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Pink Himalayan salt
What makes it pink? My husband is worrying about carcinogens as he sprinkles it on his potatoes this evening.
Re: Pink Himalayan salt
What does it taste like? The black salt in this thread has pinky tinges, which is odd as it smells sulphurous, which I would expect to give it a yellow tinge. I wonder if it's a variant of the same stuff? As we've found in the "Food Scare" thread, it seems absolutely everything is accused of being carcinogenic at some stage or other
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1380&p=13927&hilit=himalayan#p13853
EDIT: Incidentally I still have some of that black salt from the picture, but it has gone much pinker than it was in the picture, where it looks quite black.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1380&p=13927&hilit=himalayan#p13853
EDIT: Incidentally I still have some of that black salt from the picture, but it has gone much pinker than it was in the picture, where it looks quite black.
Re: Pink Himalayan salt
I've just looked it up and found this:
"The translucent pink hues of Himalayan Pink Salt come from the presence of a reported 84 trace minerals including potassium, magnesium and calcium. Iron oxide is the main element that gives the salt its signature colour".
I used to have a pink Himalayan salt lamp but threw it out before I moved. I rather wish that I hadn't done that now.
I do have some Himalayan pink salt and a large bag of it for using in the bath, which I haven't used because I always have a shower. I had planned to soak my feet in it, but haven't got around to it yet.
"The translucent pink hues of Himalayan Pink Salt come from the presence of a reported 84 trace minerals including potassium, magnesium and calcium. Iron oxide is the main element that gives the salt its signature colour".
I used to have a pink Himalayan salt lamp but threw it out before I moved. I rather wish that I hadn't done that now.
I do have some Himalayan pink salt and a large bag of it for using in the bath, which I haven't used because I always have a shower. I had planned to soak my feet in it, but haven't got around to it yet.
Re: Pink Himalayan salt
I've just tried it and it tastes quite different to ordinary sea salt and I think that it would make a good addition to food. TKMaxx or Home Sense usually have a good selection of different salts.
- Stokey Sue
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Re: Pink Himalayan salt
Himalayan pink salt as far as I can make out is similar in composition to sea salt, but contains a tiny trace of iron and calcium salts, which gives it the pink colour. Harmless
Black salt ( kala memak) is again mainly common salt ( sodium chloride) but contains various sulphur compounds (sulphates and sulphites, especially the sulphites) that give the colour and flavour. Although pure sulphur is yellow, these sulphur compounds aren't, just as pure iron is silvery, but rust ( iron oxide) is red brown.
Wiki seems about right
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kala_namak
Black salt ( kala memak) is again mainly common salt ( sodium chloride) but contains various sulphur compounds (sulphates and sulphites, especially the sulphites) that give the colour and flavour. Although pure sulphur is yellow, these sulphur compounds aren't, just as pure iron is silvery, but rust ( iron oxide) is red brown.
Wiki seems about right
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kala_namak
Re: Pink Himalayan salt
The reason I still have most of that black salt is that although I regularly use it when making a salad to accompany Indian style food, I usually add in the form of Chaat Masala, as it makes it really easy to add all those flavours in one go. Hence the raw black salt has not really been used much.
EDIT: From the Wiki page, this is just plain weird:
"Kala namak is ..... used in Jammu to cure goitres. This salt is also used to treat hysteria."
EDIT: From the Wiki page, this is just plain weird:
"Kala namak is ..... used in Jammu to cure goitres. This salt is also used to treat hysteria."
Re: Pink Himalayan salt
Yes, I understand the goitre part, but hysteria???
Thanks for the link, Sue, which I found very interesting and also found a mention of the Himalayan salt lamps, which have no beneficial effect, apparently.
Thanks for the link, Sue, which I found very interesting and also found a mention of the Himalayan salt lamps, which have no beneficial effect, apparently.
- Stokey Sue
- Posts: 4139
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- Location: Stoke Newington, London
Re: Pink Himalayan salt
Sakkarin wrote:
EDIT: From the Wiki page, this is just plain weird:
"Kala namak is ..... used in Jammu to cure goitres. This salt is also used to treat hysteria."
The natural version does contain a significant trace of iodine as iodides, so might well be a good prevention or even cure for goitre, common in locations where there is neither sea salt nor sea food to provide iodine
Hence iodised salt in many countries
The hysteria seems unlikely to me, unless secondary to hypothyroidism, which is possible depending on your working definitions, but who knows?
I have never seen how the lamps could be beneficial, common salt is very stable and won't do anything interesting when gently warmed, whatever the trace components.
- Joanbunting
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Re: Pink Himalayan salt
I first used Himalayan salt a few years ago when I got some from Lidl and I like it very much. I understand that it is rock salt as opposed to sea salt which I also use especially the local Camargue stuff.
I assumed the pink colour was a trace of iron. I also use smoked salt from a company in North Shields which I absolutely adore in the right place:
http://www.boulevardcuisine.co.uk/north ... oked-salts
I assumed the pink colour was a trace of iron. I also use smoked salt from a company in North Shields which I absolutely adore in the right place:
http://www.boulevardcuisine.co.uk/north ... oked-salts
Re: Pink Himalayan salt
Thanks for the very interesting website, Joan. I buy Halen Mon smoked sea salt and sent some to Elisa. It has a very rich smoky flavour.
https://www.halenmon.com/
https://www.halenmon.com/
- Gillthepainter
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Re: Pink Himalayan salt
I bought the big crystals, which were incredibly hard.
I had to double bag them and smash with a hammer outside.
Nice salt though. The nicest I've tried.
I had to double bag them and smash with a hammer outside.
Nice salt though. The nicest I've tried.
- Badger's Mate
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Re: Pink Himalayan salt
I buy Halen Mon smoked sea salt and sent some to Elisa. It has a very rich smoky flavour.
I had some butter made with smoked salt at a restaurant last year. It definitely conferred a smokiness to the butter.
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