What Is Black Salt? The Popular Secret Ingredient In Plant-Based Cooking

It’s easy to replace most animal products with vegan alternatives or other plant-based ingredients these days. But certain flavors can be harder to replicate, like the taste of eggs. But it turns out it’s possible to make vegan food eggy after all, with the secret ingredient of black salt.

What is black salt?

Black salt is a rock salt from the Himalayas, also known as kala namak, and is commonly used in South Asian cooking. It’s been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries for its purported therapeutic properties, such as aiding digestion. It was traditionally made by adding spices to pink Himalayan salt before being fired in a kiln. A chemical reaction would take place during this process that produced sulphur compounds and the salt’s eggy flavor.

These days it’s more often made by adding synthetic compounds like sodium chloride and sodium sulfate to the salt. This gives it a darker color and achieves the same egginess.

Is black salt healthier than regular salt?

Kala namak has a bit of a reputation for being healthier than regular salt. It is said to have lower sodium content and improve digestion. But there is limited evidence for these claims.

It’s thought that black salt has higher mineral content than regular salt, but most of these are insoluble, meaning your body won’t absorb them well. As most black salt on the market is produced synthetically, these may not have high mineral content anyway.

It’s recommended to limit the amount of salt you consume as it can raise your blood pressure. Black salt is better used for its flavor rather than for health reasons, and most recipes that call for it only require a very small amount to be added.

Black salt isn’t for everyone, and you should always consult a healthcare professional if you have specific questions about your salt intake.

How to use black salt

scrambled tofu — rav0206 – stock.adobe.com Scrambled tofu is the perfect dish to add black salt to

In recent years, black salt has become much more well-known and particularly popular among vegan cooks. You can find black salt easily online and in specialist or health food grocery stores. Though don’t confuse it with pink Himalayan salt, which is more similar to regular salt or black lava salt, which has a more smoky, earthy flavor. Once you’ve got your hands on some, here is how to use it.

As you might expect, a great way to use black salt is in recipes where you want to achieve an egg-like taste. Tofu scrambles are a perfect opportunity to try it out. So is this “egg” salad sandwich by Clean Food Dirty Girl. It mixes crumbled tofu with a cashew-based mayo and a quarter teaspoon of black salt to make the sandwich filling.

If you’re a fan of South Asian cuisine, there are tons of dishes that make use of black salt. Chaat masala is a spice mix used in many Indian street food dishes, and is typically a mix of ingredients including black salt, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and chilli powder. It’s also common sprinkled on salads and is even used in nimbu pani, a lemon or lime drink to which it adds a sour tang.