• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Pink Himalayan Salt

Lonesomedave

Lonesomedave

May 13, 2011
783
30
Nashville, Cats
#1
alright....so we've started using pink Himalayan salt for most cooking. you can get it in different forms, from carvings to hold candles, to blocks, to coarse and fine grinds.

works wonderfully and tastes great. a little more pricey, but as little as we use, not a problem.

so...my question is. does this salt contain Iodine? or, does it contain enough Iodine?

i mean, i don't think i'm in line for a goiter, but it would be a real drag. i know Kosher salt doesn't contain iodine, but this pink stuff is advertised as having umpteen natural minerals.

any thoughts.

davesignatureII-1.png
 
#2
i think i once heard that iodized salt was unhealthy. like you say, i don't think iodine deficiency is too much of an issue in modern day america.

i have a few fancy salts i got as a gift once, including pink himalayan. fun stuff. but i don't use it regularly.
 
#4
Nope. You only get iodine in industrialized salt. We serve some sashimi on pink himalyan salt block. Walu, albacore, halibut, yellow tail... Very nice... In our kitchen we have Sel Gris which has a really nice mineral content, large crystals, goes with big food taste. My fav on steak. We use flaked sea salt as a finishing salt, Maldon is available all,over the place ... and Fleur de Sel as our day to day cooking salt. They are all cleaner tasting than the Kosher salt that was our old standby.

As far as iodine in your diet, if you eat procesed foods or eat out at all, you're getting plenty...

There is a shop in Portland that has many different salts available. They are on line as well. Name is The Meadow. Mark Bitterman is the chef/owner. Nice resource for several things I cook with, salt and Bitters among them.
 
#7
It's sea salt, although the sea in question was at a whole lot lower elevation than up in a mountain range a few million years ago. I don't think sea salt is a great source of iodine, but I can't speak as to what the iodine concentrations may have been a few millennia ago......
 
#15
Phalex said:
It's sea salt, although the sea in question was at a whole lot lower elevation than up in a mountain range a few million years ago.
Click to expand...
It is rock salt, which is typically the result of a dried lake bed rather than coming from the sea.

It comes from Khewrah mines that barely touch Himalaya at all. I guess Himalayan sells better than Pakistanian salt.

Il is very poor in iode compared to sea salt, which doesn't matter much.
Salt shouldn't be your primary source of iode anyway.
 
#16
MJ5150 said:
Great....salt snobs now too. :)
Click to expand...
If you get into unrefined salts and fleur de sel, they indeed all have different tastes, colors and textures.
It doesn't come from the salt itself, which is a very simple compound, identical in composition and taste in all places.

Differences come from associated minerals and algae that grow inside the salt. These are specific for each salt facility.
These subtleties completely vanish when you cook the salt so to cook your noodle you'd better use the cheapest possible salt available.
 
#17
MadMan118 said:
I have a huge chunk of it in my living room. I drilled a hole in it and stuck a light bulb in it. Makes a cool light. Fun when you have guests over and you try to get them to lick the rock.
Click to expand...

We had a candle holder (for those small "tea light" candles) made from a chunk of this stuff. It looks interesting when lit from inside.

The problem is that it seems to absorb moisture from the air, then drip it onto the table top in a big salty wet spot! Maybe it's more of a problem in high humidity?

Also there is no best salt for metal, it causes corrosion.
 
#18
Jazz Ad said:
If you get into unrefined salts and fleur de sel, they indeed all have different tastes, colors and textures.
It doesn't come from the salt itself, which is a very simple compound, identical in composition and taste in all places.

Differences come from associated minerals and algae that grow inside the salt. These are specific for each salt facility.
These subtleties completely vanish when you cook the salt so to cook your noodle you'd better use the cheapest possible salt available.
Click to expand...

ok, makes sense...but what about putting it in dishes?

like, eg, biscuits, or sauces, or burgers.

i know there is not a heck of a lot of difference, but we have found that we like it. maybe psychological? don't know, but hey.

davesignatureII-1.png
 
#19
The flavor differences are very real, because the "impurities" (extra minerals etc.) are very real. As Jazz Ad said, the different colors are an indication of what else is in there besides sodium. Iodine is usually not high on that list of inclusions though.

The ideal is to sprinkle them on right when the food is served, after cooking, or use them in uncooked dishes.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back