- Glossary
- Black salt - Indian kala namak
Black salt - Indian kala namak
Black salt, called kala namak in Hindi, is a mineral salt with a distinctive sulfurous aroma. It is traditionally produced by heating Himalayan salt in ceramic vessels with charcoal, bark, and harad tree fruits. This process gives it its characteristic taste and dark coloring. In Indian cuisine, it is an essential ingredient in chaat masala spice blend. Vegans value it as a plant-based substitute for egg flavor in tofu scramble and other dishes.
- Black salt kala namak gets its sulfurous smell from sulfur compounds created during production.
- Despite its name, black salt actually has a pinkish-purple hue when ground.
- In Ayurvedic medicine, black salt has been used for thousands of years as a digestive aid.
- Vegans use black salt to mimic the taste of eggs in dishes like tofu scramble.
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