Salt is the essence of life. Our body needs it, but not too much –or too little. Salt is made up of two electrolytes – sodium and chloride that help in maintaining the fluid balance in your body. It also helps regulate your blood pressure. In the last few years, salt or sodium has gained a bad reputation primarily because our appetite for junk or processed food has increased which has become the primary cause of excess salt consumption.

Himalayan salt is mined in the Punjab region of Pakistan, near the Himalayan foothills. The origins of the mineral date back hundreds of millions of years, when the salt was deposited in a prehistoric lagoon. Until recently the Himalayan salt market was fairly small. Now, due to its popularity, exports have grown to 400,000 tons of salt each year.

Also known as the pink salt, hand-cut slabs of this unique variety of salt are derived from natural deposits found in the Himalayan foothills and the Punjab region of Pakistan. Unlike the table salt which is fortified, Himalayan salt is naturally rich in iodine. These blocks of opaque pink salt are known for their pure taste and infuse a rich flavour. The eye-catching pink color is due to the presence of iron oxide. The Himalayan salt has distinct structure (a colloidal form which means they are small enough to be absorbed easily by our body) and has been maturing for over 250 million years under these gigantic hills and extreme tectonic pressure. It is mined and then washed by hand and is natural and unprocessed which is why it is famously called the purest salt on earth.

You can use is for regular cooking or as a finishing salt. It offers a burst of saltiness for your palate. Himalayan salt is also good for seasoning meat as it clings to the surface well and spreads evenly. You can also blend the sweet and savoury and use a pinch in desserts. American food writer and entrepreneur, Mark Bitterman has been playing with finishing salts and Himalayan salt blocks for few years now. In his book, Salt Block Cooking, he explains, “Himalayan salt blocks have very little porosity and because they have virtually no moisture, they can be safely heated or chilled to great extremes.” This makes it very versatile. You can crumble it over your food or even cook over it. Bitterman uses salt blocks to saute, grill, chill, cure, bake, and even as a platter to serve. When foods are cooked over these blocks they acquire a delicate saltiness that sets them off perfectly.

People use this type of salt and common table salt in the same way: As part of cooking, to season meals, and to preserve food.

Blocks of pink salt sometimes become serving dishes, cooking surfaces, and cutting boards. Some people also use pink Himalayan salt in place of bath salts. It is also possible to buy lamps and candleholders made of pink salt.