Opinions on Himalayan Pink Salt?

[tomorrowalready]

Does anyone have opnion/ experience on buying using Himlayan pink (or black) salt? Is it worth buying, does it make a difference to the taste of your food? My reason for asking is I am looking for a pepper grinder/mill for some coarse sea salt I have but came across an offer of 1 or 2 grinders with 1kg of either or both salts. Nearly bought it but then thought, would I use it?

Got mine from home bargains because it looked nice. Have never used it but it looks pretty.

It tastes like salt but is just slightly prettier. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Style over substance.

Doesn't it have iodine in it?

I bought some pink salt and I can't really tell much difference between it and ordinary rock salt - it does the job, it tastes salty!
The only salt that I think does have a nicer taste and is worth paying more for is Maldon salt flakes, it doesn't really work well in a grinder though.

As above mainly looks pretty on the table

For margaritas I recommend reverting to Saxo

Thanks for all replies. I had concluded it was a case of it looking prettier despite claims of higher mineral content. Also, I have cut down hugely on the salt I use - I've had a 550g container of table salt for over 10 years so would never use a kg even if I shared it. Not to mention the guilt at consuming part of the Himalayas!

I bought the mixture of sea salt and black pepper I mentioned in OP thinking it was ready ground but it is not so when I have used it it is too strong. Have been looking for a grinder but found it surprisingly difficult to find one I like, can afford and is not electric. I looked at John Lewis this afternoon because I have a gift voucher but mostly out of stock. I think I will just wait for post Christmas sales.

No. It’s salt.

I prefer the taste of it.
I think I read somewhere that it's supposed to have more essential nutrients than ordinary salt but don't quote me.

I suppose there are other salt sources I went to a Himalayan salt mine and it’s all over the road outside, I could have picked you up a kilo or two…

To be honest I have never noticed a difference in my cooking.

It’s salt, so not sure how many benefits it can have, even with trace amount of minerals. But I’ve been to the caves where it’s mined in Pakistan and it’s a really beautiful place. They’ve created lit up landmarks made of the salt bricks with loads of caverns and a mining train taking you through. No health and safety either to keep you on your toes 🤣

I bought mine for £1 in home bargains, it’s quite nice, not sure I’d pay much more for it, it’s just salt.

Thanks PurBal, I wouldn't want you going over your weight allowance to get home. I did read one review which said if the crystals were soaked and drained they left behind a lot of sludge. But I suppose that's because it is not refined and it is rocks after all.

Oh and thanks Huckleberries73, that was about the price including the grinders which is what I really want. would unopened bags of Himalayan salt be acceptable donations if I just kept the grinders? Or is that tricky on health grounds? Sorry just thinking aloud, it is surprisingly hard to find plain and simple pepper grinders that are not too expensive. I usually buy the ready filled from supermarket.

Hi LoveFall, I believe we have 'spoken' before? The taste and quantity are the reasons I have decided against buying. I hardly ever add salt to anything now so don't need an extra kilogramme of the stuff. I am more likely to use pepper but even then quite sparingly.

Yes FastBlast, that was one of the selling points - it being a pure product from Pakistan. Did the mines smell or tast salty? Didn't they give you a hard hat in case of rock falls?

CeeCeeBloomingdale, was that just for the salt itself and how much in weight , if you can remember? I might visit the city centre and pop in after Christmas to have a look. I really don't want to invest in kilos of salt I might not use.

They smelled really musty, and yes we got a lot of salt on our lips, felt quite thirsty when leaving the mines. No hard hat..it was like Indiana Jones getting up there on the train 😂 It’s a massive tourist attraction though, so I hope there’s some checks happening in the background. I’ve added some photos, sorry they’re grainy, it was so dark inside my then iPhone 6 wasn’t very good.

They were selling a lot of salt lamps there, and apparently they’re good for cleaning the air, boosting your immune system and healing. I didn’t buy one as it would’ve broken on the way back, but they’re on trend these days.

@FastBlast, can't see any photos but that's interesting. I used to consume a lot of salt in crisps and so on but never have them now and am much more sensitive to it. I had cheese on toast for a late lunch, no extra salt but can still feel it on my lips. I realised I could blitz the mixed coarse sea salt and peppers I bought before in my electric chopper which I have now done. So that is avaiable for cooking and will last for ages. Those salt lamps are always sold in Christmas markets aren't they? So you could buy one and recreate the memory.

Tastes no different. Proper sea salt is worth buying though for bread eg crystals to sprinkle on focaccia

Off piste but I would use it in a mineral bath soak. But I love baths and am not a great chef.

Gogohm, yes that's what i had bought a smaller amount of this summer (Greek sea salt crystals with some mixed pepper berries) thinking it was in a grinder but turned out to be just a jar. I used it a few times but found it very strong so was looking for a grinder to reduce the amount I use. I've used my electric grinder now to pwder it and will use it sparingly. I am not going to bother with the Himalayan salt as it would be too much and as people have said here not much difference in taste. Thanks for the help.

I was one of those grinders that is bigger than a spice jar, probably 300-400gm