Black salt, known as kala namak, is a distinctive condiment in Indian cooking. Its signature pinkish-grey or purple hue and sulphurous aroma make it a staple in various Indian dishes. Beyond its culinary use, black salt is recognised in traditional medicine for its digestive properties and is often relied upon to alleviate indigestion and gas. It also plays a crucial role in popular Indian street foods. Additionally, black salt has cultural and religious significance in India, used in rituals and festivals. Sourced primarily from the Himalayan region, its traditional hand-harvesting and sun-drying methods add to its appeal, making it a versatile and culturally rich ingredient in Indian cuisine and daily life.
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In a video shared by a food blogger on Instagram, we witness people in Uttar Pradesh engaging in the production of black salt. The process unfolds under the scorching sun as they arrange dried cow dung cakes on a wooden slab and add coal pieces to fuel the fire. Next, they cut rubber tubes into sections, set them on fire, and place the burning tubes over the setup. Additional cow dung cakes are layered over the fire, and one-time-use clay pots are positioned atop them, containing rock salt. To purify it, they employ natural toxin-absorbing balls known as Harana. The process intensifies as they place more coal pieces on top of the pots. Next, they securely cover the clay pots with clay lids and leave them to bake for 24 hours. After this time, they retrieve the clay pots using metal pokes and open them, revealing solid pieces of black salt. These pieces are then broken down or ground into a finer salt, rendering it suitable for consumption. Take a look:
This unique process of making black salt worried viewers online. One concerned user asked, “Brother does not look healthy in any way. Burning tyre and coal, what are we eating?” “Was burning rubber tyres necessary? Highly toxic if I’m not wrong,” read a comment. A person claimed that the salt in the video was “fake”. Echoing a similar sentiment, another added, “This is fake Himalayan salt or black salt. Please avoid consuming this. It can cause kidney stones and other diseases as it contains heavy metals like lead, mercury, etc. as the base material is sea salt which is contaminated.
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A user quoted the information available on Google and said, “Burning tires release a significant amount of toxic pollutants into the air. These pollutants include sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM), including fine particles known as PM2.5.”
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