The ethereal breeze of the wind dampens my quivering skin as I crusade at the base of Himalayas in Pakistan. My bare feet are cold as ice, but the warmth of the sun caresses my soul. And then I found, under the bluish sky, the Himalayan pink salt glistening like the ocean waves. I was enthralled by its magnificence, and so I decided to dive deeper and look for the unknown facts lying in this salt. I continued walking on the horizon as I wonder what Himalayan pink salt used for is?
Around the magnanimous mountains, I found a home where pink salts are being excavated. It is a place known as the Khewra salt mine. This shelter for Himalayan pink salt is famous because it has been one of the mining industries of salts that have been established for a very long time. I am also tantalized by its size as it towers among other salt mines. I have been enlightened of how these salts had formed through bodies of water that evaporated many years ago. Looking at this place, and the location where it is nestled, there is no doubt why this salt is called by its name. Here, I tend to search for the answer that has been a quest for a long time now.
The wind pushes me in the deepest part of the place. I can hear the screeching of the sturdy walls and the echoes of several whispers from various people bouncing on the floor. My body quivers as I freeze in the middle of the mine, not by the cold but because of the salts dancing in my eyes. There, I witness how the pink salt is being processed with just fewer additives to be more natural than other salts. Being able to know that these salts are very astonishing, I can’t resist to gather my thoughts and search for my real purpose why I’m here. And after learning the history of once I thought was just a simple ingredient for various cuisines, my guts had grown to understand its benefits fully.
When I touch a pinch of this Himalayan pink salt, my body feels a bit strange, and I realize that I am being dragged under the soil. Then everything just when black and when I open my eyes, I am in a different place. I found myself in a kitchen where people are very busy chopping onions and garlic, stirring a soup from a casserole, grating cheeses and many more. But what catches my attention is a bowl of the Himalayan pink salt that is on the table. I am trying to get the salt but my body seems to be smoke that could not be touched. My body surrender so I just watch how people take a spoonful of this salt and placed it on the boiling water. The aroma had gotten in my nostrils and I feel like I’m in the shore where the waves splash on my bare feet. Then I realize, one of the uses of the Himalayan pink salt is for cooking just like any other salts. As I further scan the kitchen, I notice that they put the pink salts in almost every dish that they make, especially in sauces and marinades. It has been such an essential ingredient for a palatable meal that sometimes are not being recognized for its size and is not seen in actual dishes. I feel an electric current flowing in my veins as happiness surges inside me.
I slowly close my eyes, but as I open it again, the strong wind slaps my face. I am back to the mining place, and I can see a group of people carrying large pieces of salt. Behind me, I could hear wild voices and as I turn my body to look at what seems to be a commotion, I see buyers and sellers having negotiations with each other. To my surprise, what they are talking about is the Himalayan pink salt being sold in the market. On a long table lies a mountain of the pink salt in different sizes. There are large pieces said to be used for a mass of purposes. One of which is for grilling and putting it in meats. While those small pieces of pink sals are sold in packs for cooking. One significant benefit that is carved in my mind at the moment is how this pink salt helps in the economy of a country. It had occurred to me that aside from cooking benefits, this salt is also an aid for economic growth.
For a moment, I heard a snap of a finger and in just a blink of an eye, I am in a different environment again. There I see people using the pink salt, not for dietary purposes. I have learned that the Himalayan pink salt is used as bath soap, for they believe that it can enhance their skins and aids for sore muscles. As I walk forward, I can learn that this pink salt can be used in making salt lamps that are believed to lessen air pollutions. I suddenly stop when I see people laughing and grinning that their mouths are almost ripped off as they nestled in a man-made cave that is formed using the Himalayan pink salt. This cave, as it turns out, can refresh the skin and address some respiratory maladies. However, these claims are still not that strong, but many believe in the benefits that the pink salt can offer.
Without any signs, I can feel my body being distorted like I am drowning deep under the sea. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t feel my fingers and my skin and my feet, and I couldn’t close my eyes. Then, after a minute, I see a light that blinds me. It is like an eternity of light, but in a blink or two, I am back to the mountain where I started to. I’m back to reality together with the new knowledge about the Himalayan salt pink.
Pink Himalayan Salt
The ingredients that make Pink Himalayan Salt a favorite among chefs in the culinary world also make it a replenishing bath salt!
