Indian Black Salt (Buy one get one free)

Indian Black Salt
Has been used as a condiment for many hundreds of years in Asian countries surrounding the Himalayan mountains. It was originally obtained from either natural volcanic mines in Northern India and Pakistan or the surrounding salt lakes of Sambhar or Didwana. Traditionally, the salt was processed with heat, charcoal and plant material, which yielded a dark crystal rich in sulfide compounds. The traditionally made salt is also high in iron and many other minerals. Modern manufacturing processes can make the salt synthetically, which looks similar to the traditional form, but it has less mineral content.

Composition

Indian black salt consists primarily of sodium chloride, which is the main component of table salt, and trace impurities that include sulfates, sulfides, iron and magnesium. The sodium chloride provides the salty taste, the iron sulfide provides its pinkish-grey color and the hydrogen sulfide provides its distinctive smell. 

Potential Health Benefits

Indian black salt is considered a cooling spice in ayurvedic medicine and is recommended for many health issues such as constipation, indigestion, heartburn, bloating, flatulence, goiter, poor eyesight and hysteria, according to the book “Herbs that Heal.” In India, black salt is sometimes recommended to people on low-salt diets due to hypertension because it’s believed to be lower in sodium content compared to regular table salt. Of course, the composition of Indian black salt varies quite a bit and depends mainly on whether it’s manufactured using traditional or modern techniques.