Pink Himalayan salt has a similar chemical composition to table salt. It has a sodium chloride content of up to 98 percent. The remaining salt comprises trace minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium. This is what gives the salt its light pink color. But did you know most of the Himalayan Pink Salt we consume does not come from the Himalayas?
The majority of Himalayan Pink Salt does not originate in the Himalayas. The salt is mined in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
How to Use Pink Himalayan Salt?
This type of salt, like regular table salt, is used in the same ways: in cooking, to season meals, and to preserve food. Pink Himalayan salt has a similar chemical composition to table salt. It has a sodium chloride content of up to 98 percent.
Pink salt blocks are sometimes used as serving dishes, cooking surfaces, and cutting boards. Some people substitute pink Himalayan salt for bath salts. Pink salt lamps and candleholders can also be purchased. (Source: Salt House and Pepper Mongers)
The Origins of the Pink Himalayan Salt
Himalayan salt is mined at the famous Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan’s northern Punjab region. The mine, located in the Himalayan foothills, was discovered around 320 BC when Alexander the Great’s troops passed through the area. According to legend, the soldiers’ horses discovered the Khewra salt deposits when they began licking the rocks they found throughout the landscape.
However, salt had been present in the rocks and soil surrounding Khewra long before Alexander the Great’s troops discovered it. Himalayan salt was formed around 200 million years ago when lava eruptions submerged crystallized salt formations from dried sea beds. Buried beneath snow, ice, and rock, the salt was shielded from outside pollution: thousands of years later, when the mine was first excavated, miners discovered a pure mineral-rich salt, colored a vivid pink due to its high iron content. (Source: Salt House and Pepper Mongers)
How Do They Mine the Salt?
Salt was extracted and traded from the Khewra mine on a small scale as early as the 13th century, but large-scale mining began in 1872 with the excavation of its main tunnel by British engineer Dr. H. Warth. Warth strengthened existing digs, installed excavation equipment and a reliable water supply, and constructed storage warehouses. The improvements to the Khewra mine infrastructure were so successful that production increased to the point where authorities had to impose penalties for salt smuggling.
According to estimates, the Khewra Salt Mine contains up to 600 million tons of salt. The mine produced over 187,000 tons per year during Dr. Warth’s tenure, but by the twenty-first century, with the introduction of modern equipment and digging methods, that figure had risen to around 385,000 tons per year. Don’t worry; supplies won’t run out anytime soon: the Khewra Salt Mine, which has expanded to 19 levels, is expected to continue producing salt for 350 years.
The Khewra Salt Mine’s success has given it a special place in the region’s culture – and made it an extremely popular tourist destination. The Khewra Salt Mine has become world famous, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. (Source: Salt House and Pepper Mongers)
Image from FoodUnfolded