A few days ago, I was at the store with the husband and stumbled on a bag of Himalayan Pink Salt. I picked it up, looked at it, and thought, “Salt is salt. Why would anyone pay $4 a pound for salt? This isn’t the Middle Ages…” I was just about to put it back when he said (somewhat snidely), “You aren’t going to buy some stupid pink salt, just because it is all pink, are you?”
Well, of course I am…now.
And I did.
There really isn’t anything special about pink salt. It is just salt with a higher content of iron oxide than normal table salt.
From Wikipedia—Himalayan salt is a marketing term for Halite (commonly known as rock salt) from Pakistan, which began being sold by various companies in Europe, North America, and Australia in the early 21st century. It is mined in the Khewra Salt Mines, the second largest salt mine in the world, located in Khewra, Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, about 300 km from the Himalayas, about 160 kilometres from Islamabad, and 260 kilometres from Lahore, and in the foothills of the Salt Range.
The salt sometimes comes out in a reddish or pink color, with some crystals having an off-white to transparent color. It is commonly used for cooking similar to regular table salt, brine, and bath products.
People like fancy things, and pink salt looks fancy. It’s good marketing of an old product.
So I put the salt on the table, just for funsies, and my husband says something to the effect of, “It’s just salt. They dye it or something, to re-market an old product as healthier.”
Yeah, I know. Oddly enough I had the same thought, one whole paragraph ago. I DID go to the same business school as you, Dear Heart.
Instead of getting snide (out loud), I decided to mess with Mr. Know It All. Just a teeny-weeny bit. The next day, I got out a the last of the Morton’s Kosher Salt, some Wilson’s cake dye, and a whisk.
Pretty, yes?
I put it on the table and the husband asked, “What is that?! It looks so cool.”
“Well I looked up the Himalayan Pink Salt, and you were right.” I replied. “It was pretty much normal salt, with a little iron oxide in it to make it pink. It wasn’t healthier or anything. But while I was looking, I found there was this type of Caribbean sea salt, which is all natural, and has a higher nutritional content than normal salt.”
“Really?” he asked, swallowing it hook, line, and sinker.
“Really. Isn’t it cool? The locals call it ‘sal de azul de oceano’. They say it is blessed by the little mermaid and gets its color from the jewels on her tail.”
“Neat!” he said, sprinkling a little on his dinner.
He didn’t ask why it turned his rice blue.
Larissa blogs at The Henway.Do you have a recipe post or kitchen-related story to share on the Farm Bell blog? See Farm Bell Blog Submissions for information and to submit a post.
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Minta says:
ROFLOL!!!!!!!!! That was so funny it brought tears to my eyes….from the getting the salt in the first place to the blue rice…..
I needed that…great post.
On May 3, 2011 at 1:32 am
Lindsay says:
I make a Himalayan salt body scrub as part of my product line, and I wanted to add a little something since Wikipedia doesn’t have it all correct there. Himalayan salt can include up to 89 trace minerals that are absent in regular table salt. Minerals like calcium, magnesium, copper and of course iron. Depending on who you’re getting it from (as there’s always the possibility of it just being regular old salt and iron), it is considered the purest salt available. There’s even evidence of it being helpful in the treatment of respiratory illnesses, arthritis and skin rashes.
That being said, it tastes really good, too. And I absolutely cracked up at the way you handled your husband’s crack on all things pink lol. I would have done the same exact thing!
On May 3, 2011 at 3:51 am
Darlene says:
Humor and education….what more can one ask! Great post and comments…..still laughing!! Oops! Just fell out of my chair.
On May 3, 2011 at 5:57 am
GrannyTrace says:
LOL!! Toooooo funny!! I’m always looking to pull one over on my hubbie!! You made my morning.
Thanks for sharing.
Granny Trace
http://www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com
On May 3, 2011 at 6:28 am
Euni Moore says:
Pink salt is also sold in blocks which can be heated and used either to cook or act as a warmer. The blocks have great heat retention capabilities. I saw this in a kitchenware store not long ago.
On May 3, 2011 at 8:12 am
mamma-leigh says:
This is great! It sounds exactly like my husband. Except for the part where mine would say, I’m not eating that, it looks like cookie monster sneezed on it! He is just a little picky at times. HAHA Still I might have to try that on him one day!
On May 3, 2011 at 8:38 am
langela says:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post. Sounds just like my husband. And I love how you handled it!
On May 3, 2011 at 8:51 am
Sherie says:
What a wonderful way to start my morning! Thank you for the laugh and the education!
On May 3, 2011 at 9:52 am
Pete says:
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!!
On May 3, 2011 at 10:05 am
Kenya Cook says:
Ha ha ha-larious! What a clever wife! Love how you got him. I want to hear what he says when (if?) you tell him the truth!
On May 3, 2011 at 10:22 am
Larissa says:
He’ll figure it out, eventually. Perhaps when I run this particular post on my blog….MUAHAHAHAHAHA!
On May 3, 2011 at 10:28 am
alison says:
Larissa,
You started my day off right. This was laugh outloud funny, and we can all use more of that. Thank you for sharing this.
On May 3, 2011 at 10:57 am
Linda Goble says:
Very funny. It gave me quite a chuckle. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!
On May 3, 2011 at 12:10 pm
cityMousE says:
HAHAHAHAHA,
too too funny!
On May 3, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Miss Nellie says:
So so Funny.
On May 3, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Rosemeri says:
What a great post. Had me laughing out loud. I will have to try that some day and see what happens at my house.
On May 3, 2011 at 2:18 pm
foofeee says:
Thank you for the laugh! I was laughing when I read about the pink salt/blue salt and then the poster who said the blue salt looked like Cookie Monster sneezed really got me!
On May 3, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Larissa says:
So…I was just making some of Suzanne’s grandmother bread, and used the blue salt. With an egg, it turns the bread green, but not BRILLIANT green, so of course I had to add some MORE color. Someone needs to take away my food coloring before I get into trouble.
On May 3, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Courtney says:
Okay now you’ve gone and done it. I want to make green bread!
On May 3, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Deni says:
So…I read this post this morning and of course it made me smile. Later I came home from work and the first thing on my facebook page is a “notice” that two of my friends have “liked” Himalayan Crystal Salt. Believe me neither of these people saw the post here. Pretty funny coincidence.
On May 3, 2011 at 6:13 pm
brookdale says:
Hahaha! You guys are too funny!
On May 3, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Cathy Jones (catray44) says:
Larissa, I always love your posts!
On May 3, 2011 at 7:06 pm
wickedgoodshari says:
What FUN! In my house, my husband (the smarty pants) is always right, so I love it when I can pull one over on him – I think I’ll try this!
Larissa, you should not lose your food coloring, you should be granted artistic license to use more!
On May 4, 2011 at 6:57 am
mamma-leigh says:
OK this is a little off topic but it is dealing with food coloring. Last year I made my daughters birthday cake, it was backpack from Dora the Explorer. Well I thought that I could make the cake part purple too. Once the cake was cooked it turned a more pink color so it looked like you were actually cutting in to backpack. It was so funny, most just asked me if it was a strawberry cake!
On May 4, 2011 at 9:29 am
Ross says:
Iwouldn’t allow it in my house because Cure#1 for making ham and other cured meat products is dyed pink and contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt. It is NOT used as table salt.
On May 4, 2011 at 11:32 pm
Robin from Rurification says:
HA! Good one!
On May 5, 2011 at 7:25 am
Journey11 says:
LOL, too funny. My MIL would like that pink salt. She collects pink depression glass and loves all things pink!
I hear it is very good for you too, with all the extra minerals in it.
On May 5, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Darlene in North GA says:
Epic success!
Way to go, I was laughing so hard I was about to cry.
On May 9, 2011 at 8:58 pm
beebop says:
Is this healthy to eat
On January 3, 2013 at 7:39 am