Himalayan Salt From the Khewra Mine in Pakistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Himalayan salt is beautiful. That pinkish glow is so stunning. It just looks gourmet. And it is… but here are 3 things you should know before you make it your go-to salt.
- Himalayan salt is taken from the Khewra salt mine in Pakistan. The mine is owned and operated by the Pakistani government. Although the salt is ancient, the room and pillar method they use to mine it is identical to that used to mine coal. The mining process was invented and developed at the Khewra Salt Mines.
- Himalayan salt is 95-96% sodium chloride lacking the high mineral content that can smooth out the acridness of pure sodium chloride. This is because salt mined from the earth is deposited in layers. Think of a layer cake. Sodium chloride is the icing between the chalk deposits on the bottom and the good mineral salts on top. When it is mined, they attempt to mine just the sodium chloride layer resulting in a 95-96% pure sodium chloride salt. In comparison, manmade table salt is 99% sodium chloride and naturally evaporated sea salt is about 92% sodium chloride.
- Himalayan salt is dry, as in 0% moisture. It must be crushed, ground, or shaved to use. Because it is dry, it absorbs moisture and will dissolve easily. This is perfect if you want your salt to disappear, like on a delicate salad. But, if you want your steak or veggies to retain their natural moisture and have a satisfying salty crunch with each bite, a moist sea salt is much better. Because sea salts have up to 14% moisture, they don’t absorb liquid from your food nor do they dissolve quickly. A moist sea salt, pinched from a dish and crushed between your fingers, is the ideal salt for everyday use.
Save your Himalayan salt for delicate dry foods and fancy presentations. For everything else, stick with a 100% natural sea salt like AztecSeaSalt™.
Pinch it, Grind it!
Geordie and John
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