Pink salt: calorie content and biologically active components that make up it. What are the useful properties that distinguish the product from ordinary table salt? Can it harm and how to use it in cooking. Here are just a few of the health benefits of pink salt. But, it must be borne in mind that the action of this product is not local, it heals the body as a whole for a variety of reasons, one of which was identified in the process of the aforementioned Austrian study. Scientists have proven that the product is able to affect the pH level in the body - its increased or decreased level negatively affects the activity of all organs and systems, pink salt normalizes pH.
Harm and contraindications to pink salt
It would seem that such a useful product cannot cause any harm to the body, but there are still some subtleties in this matter. Of course, first of all, it should be said that any salt, no matter how natural and environmentally friendly it is, can, if abused, lead to many negative consequences. To get tangible benefits from the product, you just need to replace ordinary table salt with it, you do not need to additionally drink its solutions and come up with your own medicines based on it.
In addition, there are situations where salt is generally contraindicated. For example, if you have acute kidney or stomach disease, in which your doctor usually prescribes a rigid, salt-free diet.
It is necessary to use pink salt with caution during pregnancy and the following diseases:
- Glaucoma;
- Venous insufficiency;
- Thrombophlebitis;
- Individual intolerance to common salt;
- Tuberculosis.
In addition, in the presence of other serious diseases, it is advisable to first consult a doctor before introducing the product into the diet.
Pink Salt Recipes
The use of pink salt in recipes is akin to the use of ordinary table salt in them, that is, there is a place for the Himalayan "miracle" in almost every dish. In trendy restaurants today, special boards made of pink salt are used: they are placed on stoves and fish, meat or eggs are cooked directly on them, as a result of which the required amount of salt is absorbed into the product on its own, and then its separate addition is not required.
Such boards also serve for cutting ingredients for fresh salads, and here, again, salt is not specially added to the dish. Often vegetables, sushi, carpaccio, cheese are served directly on such devices; for special gourmets, it is offered to serve sweet fruits and ice cream on a pre-chilled salt board - light salty notes in sweet give birth to a unique taste.
But in everyday life, of course, more often you have to deal with pink salt in the form of granules, they can be added to dishes directly in this form, or you can grind them first using a spice mill. The product is sold only in granules, because it is in this configuration that useful elements are stored longer and more efficiently. Still, what can you cook with pink salt? We repeat, any familiar dishes, but if you already have salt in your hands, which today in our country is used only by ardent followers of a healthy lifestyle and chefs in fashionable restaurants, why not cook something delicious:
- Lentil and pear salad … Bring the water to a boil, add the ginger root (10-15 cm), then the red lentils (1 cup) and cook the cereals until al dente. Tear the arugula with your hands (1 generous bunch) and place on serving bowls. Cut a pear (1 piece) into thin slices, roll in sugar and fry in a skillet in butter. In the oven, bake cherry tomatoes (12 pieces): to do this, grease the tomatoes a little with oil, put them in a baking dish and place them in an oven heated to 250 degrees for 5 minutes. Prepare the dressing: Mix grape or olive oil (3 tablespoons) with lemon juice (1 teaspoon) and maple syrup (1/4 teaspoon) - can be substituted with a little honey. Place pear on salad, then cherry, lentils, top with dressing, add pink salt to taste and mix well.
- Noble pink salmon … Cut pink salmon (1 piece), remove the ridge, bones, remove the fillets from the skin. Cut the fish into thin slices. Prepare the brine: boil water (1 liter) and cool it a little, add pink salt (4-5 tablespoons). It is important to get a concentrated solution, you can check the concentration by putting a small potato in the brine, if it does not sink, you get what you need. Dip pieces of pink salmon into it for 15-30 minutes. You should not leave the fish in it anymore, otherwise it will turn out to be too salty. Place the fillet pieces in a plastic container or saucepan, cover with olive oil or vegetable oil so that it covers the fish completely, you can also add a little of your favorite spices. Close the container tightly. After 7 hours, you can eat tender pink salmon - and do not be surprised if its taste reminds you of salmon or trout.
- Caramel apples … Rayskie apples (1 kg) pierce through with wooden skewers and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sugar (400 grams), agave syrup (50 ml) and water (50 ml). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture is smooth and stringy. Turn off the heat, spread parchment paper on a platter, sprinkle it with granules of pink salt. Remove the apples on skewers, dip each in the resulting caramel and put on a dish to cool. After about half an hour, you can eat an unusual dessert.
If you manage to get your hands on salt boards, you can afford even more daring experiments. These devices perfectly keep the temperature, which allows you to achieve a certain effect. Want to surprise your guests? Preheat the salt board, place it on the dining table where your friends are gathered, and fry the fish right in front of their eyes. Alternatively, chill and serve ice cream that won't melt for a long time. However, returning to a more prosaic kitchen, it is worth saying that with the help of two salt boards you can cook excellent lard: put the layers of meat on one board, on top of it with garlic slices and spices to taste and cover with the second layer. Wrap the structure in a thin towel and place in a cool dry place for 8-10 hours, and the bacon is ready!
Interesting facts about pink salt
Today on the market you can find pink salt not only from the Himalayas, but also from the Crimean Lake Sasyk-Sivash. In general, it is in many ways similar to the Himalayan, but it is believed that the first is still ecologically cleaner, as it hides deep in the mountains. But in any case, both "varieties" are extremely useful and have a beneficial effect on the body.
Pink salt is now becoming popular after a long period of neglect. In ancient times, every healer and healer knew this product perfectly and used it in his practice. Even Alexander the Great organized the extraction of this salt and ensured its supply to the royal family and aristocrats. Himalayan salt finds its application not only in cooking, it is actively used in cosmetology, folk medicine, physiotherapy procedures. In addition, salt lamps with pink salt are on sale today, which help create a healthy microclimate in the house, neutralizing not only viruses and bacteria, but also the radiation of household appliances. Inhalation of salt lamp vapors is an excellent prevention of respiratory diseases.
Pink salt is also used in … construction! It's about building saunas. Part of the walls is made of salt blocks, which can significantly increase the health-improving effect of bath procedures.
Many people note that pink salt does not have a very pleasant smell, which, in general, is not surprising. This fact can be explained by a very exotic way of its formation. About 250 million years ago, the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates collided, resulting in the Himalayas, burying a piece of the ocean. The salt of the ocean has been mixed with magma for a long time, enriching itself with various elements and acquiring a very unusual aroma.
Manufacturers who are unclean on hand often try to counterfeit pink salt by coloring crystals with ordinary salt. It is easy to recognize a deception, you just need to throw a couple of crystals into a glass of water: if the color persists, then you are dealing with an original product.
Watch the video about pink salt:
Pink salt is a product that refutes the well-established stereotype that any salt is harmful to the body and in order to maintain health, it must be consumed in minimal quantities. The Himalayan "miracle" is not only safe for the body, but also useful. However, one should not forget about moderation in the use of the product. Today you can buy granulated pink salt in many large supermarkets, and although it is much more expensive than regular table salt, this is not the case when the savings are reasonable. Salt slabs are more difficult to find, but there are a lot of online sites on the Internet where you can find this curiosity.
