UPPU (SALT) PART IV Dear friends,
I had enough of myprelude in Part 1 of the posting. I am happy many members read my posting andthank full for their responses. I had already posted part 2 and 3 of theposting. This is in continuation and PART 4 AND FINAL PART of the posting about salt. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan3-11-2010. (Continued from Part 3) 31. Kala Namak Kala Namak alsoknown as black salt or black Indian salt is a salty and pungent smellingcondiment used in India. The condiment is composed largely of sodium chloridewith several impurities lending the salt its colour and smell. The smell ismainly due to sulfur content. Depending on thesource of information kala namak is either a type of natural volcanic halite orman-made product. Kala Namak is usedextensively in Indian cuisine as a condiment or added to chaats, chutneys, allkinds of fruits, raitas and many other savory Indian snacks. Chaat masala, anIndian spice blend, is dependent upon black salt for its characteristicsulfurous hard-boiled egg aroma. Non-Indians who are not accustomed to black salt oftendescribe the smell as similar to rotten eggs. Due toimpurities in the mineral, it is brownish pink to dark violet translucent stonewhen whole and when ground into a powder, it is light purple to pink in color. Kala namak consistsprimarily of sodium chloride and trace impurities of sodium sulphate, ironsulphide, and hydrogen sulphide. Sodium chloride provides kala namak with itssalty taste, iron sulphide provides its dark violet hue, and all the sulphurcompounds give kala namak its slight bitter taste as well as a highlydistinctive smell, with hydrogen sulphide being the most prominent contributorto the smell. Although hydrogensulphide is toxic in high concentrations, the amount present in kala namak usedin food is small and thus its effects on health are negligible. Certain sourcesreport that kala namak are created by evaporation of brine which has beenboiled with harad seeds, others indicate that it is a natural halite mined fromthe ground. The salt crystalsappear black in colour, and are usually ground to a fine powder which is pinkin colour. KALA NAMAK ISCONSIDERED A COOLING SPICE IN AYURVEDIC MEDICINE AND IS USED AS A LAXATIVE ANDDIGESTIVE AID. It is also believed to relieve intestinal gas and heartburn. Itis used in Jammu to cure goiters. My note- From the description it is used as anayurvedic medicine and colour of salt seen in picture I think it is Induppu in Malayalam.I could not get Malayalam word for Kala Namak to confirm. 32 Himalayan salt Himalayan salt is amarketing term for rock salt from Pakistan, which began being sold by variouscompanies in Europe, North America, and Australia in the early 21st century. It is mined in the Khewra SaltMines, the second largest salt mine in the world, located in Khewra, JhelumDistrict, Punjab, Pakistan, about 300 km from the Himalayas, about 160kilometres from Islamabad, and 260 kilometres from Lahore, and in the foothillsof 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 bathproducts. Generally, Himalayan salt is used for culinary purposesin the same way as ordinary table salt. It is also used as abath-salt. Rock salts mined inseveral parts of the world, including Hawaii, Utah, Bolivia, the Murray-Darlingbasin of Australia, Peru, and Poland are marketed as Himalayan salt or pinksalt. The color results from iron oxide. 33 Black lava salt Black lava salt isa marketing term for sea salt harvested from various places around the worldthat has been blended andcoloured with activated charcoal. The salt is used as a decorativecondiment to be shown at the table. Due to its charcoalcontent the salt is stated by marketers to be detoxifying. 34 Bath salts Unrefined sea saltsare also commonly used as ingredients in bathing additives and cosmetic products. Oneexample is bath salts, which uses sea salt as its main ingredient and combinedwith other ingredients used for its healing and therapeutic effects. 35 The Alberger process The Albergerprocess is a method of producing salt. It involves mechanical evaporation, anduses an open evaporating pan and steam energy. It results in a unique, three-dimensionalflake salt of extremely light bulk density. It is highly prized in the fastfood industry, due to its low sodium and high flavor content for a givenvolume. This is BECAUSE THE SALT IS 'CUP-SHAPED', INSTEAD OF IN THE FORM OFNORMAL SALT CRYSTALS 36. Availability of salt As longas our seas are there brine salt will have no scarcity. Where salt is mined,these mines are so big that, there will be no scarcity for thousands of years. 37 Salt in Religion Salt has long heldan important place in religion and culture. Greek worshippers consecrated salt in their rituals.Jewish Temple offerings included salt; on the Sabbath, Jews still dip theirbread in salt as a remembrance of those sacrifices. In the Old Testament, Lot's wife was turned into a pillarof salt Covenants in boththe Old and New Testaments were often sealed with salt: the origin of the word"salvation." In the Catholic Church, salt is or has been used in avariety of purifying rituals. In fact, until Vatican II, a small taste of salt was placed on a baby'slip at his or her baptism. Jesus called hisdisciples "the Saltof the Earth." In Leonardo DaVinci's famous painting, "TheLast Supper," Judas Escariot has just spilled a bowl of salt - a portentof evil and bad luck. To this day, the tradition endures that someone who spillssalt should throw a pinch over his left shoulder to ward off any devils thatmay be lurking behind. In Buddhist tradition, salt repels evil spirits. That'swhy it's customary to throw salt over your shoulder before entering your houseafter a funeral: it scares off any evil spirits that may be clinging to yourback. Shinto religion also uses salt to purify an area.Before sumo wrestlers enter the ring for a match - which is actually anelaborate Shinto rite - a handful of salt is thrown into the centre to driveoff malevolent spirits. In 1933, the Dalai Lama was buried sitting up in abed of salt. Today, a gift of salt endures in India as a potent symbolof good luck. 38. Hindu religion There are a fewbeliefs in Hindu religion. First is salt should be purchased well in advance tokeep reserve- Any thing can be taken on loan fromneighbour- but not salt. Another belief is salt should not be given in Hand, invessels. Salt is usedspecially by Brahmins in Danams. Preparations are made without salt and offered to prethas in deathrelated functions. Salt offering are made to Naga temples to ward of sarpadosha. 39. Did at any time salt deficiency was felt? Yes is the answer.The effects of salt deficiency are highlighted in times of war, when humanbodies and national economies are strained to their limits. Thousands ofNapoleon's troops died during the French retreat from Moscow due to inadequatewound healing and lowered resistance to disease - the results of saltdeficiency. 40 History of salt Evidence indicatesthat Neolithic people of the Precucuteni Culture were boiling the salt-ladenspring water through the process of briquetage to extract the salt as far back as 6050 BC. Thesalt extracted from this operation may have had a direct correlation to therapid growth of this society's population soon after its initial productionbegan. The harvest of saltfrom the surface of Xiechi Lake near Yuncheng in Shanxi, China dates back to atleast 6000 BC, Salt was included among funereal offerings found in ancientEgyptian tombs from the third millennium BC, as were salted birds and salt fish.While people have used canning and artificial refrigeration to preserve foodfor the last hundred years or so, salt has been the best-known foodpreservative, especially for meat, for many thousands of years. 41 salad The word saladliterally means "salted," and comes from the ancient Roman practiceof salting leaf vegetables. 42 Different flavours of salt Different naturalsalts have different mineralities, giving each one a unique flavour. Naturalsea salt harvested by hand, has a unique flavour varying from region to region. In traditionalKorean cuisine, so-called "bamboo salt" is prepared by roasting saltin a bamboo container plugged with mud at both ends. This product absorbsminerals from the bamboo and the mud, and has been shown to increase the anticlasto genic and anti muta genic properties of doenjang. Salt has great commercial value because it is anecessary ingredient in the manufacturing of many things. In addition todietary salt, the Confederacy needed the precious mineral to tan leather, dyecloth for uniforms and preserve meat. Salt has to be restricted in diet as far as possible byall diabetics and those with heart problems. Salt is an enemy to our Kidney. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1477824547.340461.1625279333207%40mail.yahoo.com.
