Pink Himalayan salt is an excellent alternative to regular table salt in numerous cooking recipes. It can be used to season any number of foods, with certain flavours complementing certain other tastes. Because it is a naturally occurring mineral, Himalayan pink salt contains no additives or preservatives and its benefits are well documented.
Himalayan pink salt is mountain salt mined from the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. The salt, which tends to have a light pink tint because of trace minerals, is most commonly used as a cooking ingredient, particularly to replace commercial table salt, but can also be used for food presentation and decorative lamps. The colouration is caused by the presence of a substance called haematite, which occurs naturally in many salt rocks. There are several forms of this rock and each exhibits a unique colouration. Although Himalayan salt has become more highly favoured recently, many people continue to favour the traditional version that is mined from Mount Everest.
Pink Himalayan salt can be mined in two different ways: from the sea beds and from rivers and streams. In the natural mined form, veins of the mineral are found in rocks below sea level. As a result, Himalayan sea salt tends to have a lighter colour than river water and its trace minerals tend to be depleted quickly. River salt tends to have a richer colour because the minerals from the upper layers of the earth are washed down to the sea by rivers. Both types of salt are mined predominantly in mountainous areas where natural deposits are abundant.
Himalayan pink salt benefits many people by using less salt than regular table salt. Its natural colour makes it easier to use as food seasoning or even in cookery. It's also excellent for seasoning baked goods, making cheese and other foods that need a higher degree of seasoning. The magnesium content is similar to regular table salt and some experts believe that it has twice the magnesium content of regular salt. This benefit has led to the increased use of Himalayan pink salt as a popular alternative to table salt.
When using Himalayan salt as a food seasoning for baking purposes, make sure you choose your products carefully. Since it lacks any natural minerals and is highly refined, it can "eat up" trace minerals in your food. This makes it unhealthy for many people. Many health advocates have tried using this salt as a dip for meats, vegetables and other foods in order to get the same rich flavour and trace minerals as you might get from table salt. However, experts warn against this practice since the trace minerals in this salt become completely destroyed when heated.
Although Himalayan pink salt isn't used on a regular basis in most households, it has become popular with members of the Indian Diaspora in the United States and other Western countries who have adopted it for their home spa treatments. For this reason, there are now dozens of manufacturers of Himalayan salt lamps and other salt accessories who are marketing them both online and offline. There are also individual sellers of Himalayan rock salt, so individuals can buy and sell their own supplies.
Himalayan rock salt lamp salts come in a wide range of colours, each reflecting the mineral constituents of the salt. They also differ greatly in price, depending on the quantity that is inside the packet, and whether the salt is natural or cultured. Natural Himalayan salt has trace amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and selenium, while artificial salt usually has only sodium and potassium. Salt lamps can be used to add moisture and healing to any dry skin, and can often relieve the pain from sunburn and other irritations. Some Himalayan pink salt can also stimulate the body's own immune system to fight against colds and other illnesses.
Rock salt generally contains two main minerals: chloride and sodium. Each mineral can be found naturally in a variety of different locations and can be synthesized by combining two of them. Himalayan salt contains a unique colour because of minerals contained within the iron oxides that react with the air to give the salt its pink colour. This process gives the Himalayan salt its distinctive beauty. Rock salt is used to make numerous types of beauty products, including body wash, lotions, soaps, and bath salts.