Black salt

Black salt, in Hindi - kala namak or sanchal, is an unrefined salt that is actually pinkish gray and has a very strong sulfuric flavor. Black salt is gathered in India and is used widely in Indian cuisine as a condiment or added to chaats, chutneys, raitas and many other savory Indian snacks. Chaat masala, an Indian spice blend, is dependent upon black salt for its characteristic aroma and flavor. Chemically, black salt is sodium chloride, with iron, sulfurous compounds and trace minerals.
Black salt is considered a cooling spice in ayurvedic medicine and is used as a laxative and digestive aid. It is also believed to relieve intestinal gas and heartburn. It is sometimes used by people with high blood pressure or on low-salt diets because it is thought to be lower in sodium and purportedly does not increase sodium content in the blood. Black salt is appreciated by vegans in dishes that mimic the taste of eggs. It is used, for example, to spice tofu to mimic an egg salad. Now, many luxury restaurants around the world offer their clients something with black salt included. It gained huge popularity due to its interesting flavors
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Blog reader Merle asks an interesting question, wondering how to make black salt, an ingredient sometimes included in hoodoo workings. It does occasionally pop up in Wiccan ritual as well. While there are a few places online that sell it, it's not hard to make your own. Black salt is traditionally used to drive away evil, and can be sprinkled in the footsteps of a person who is annoying you to make them go away. A few websites recommend adding a dye or food coloring to the salt. However, as someone who cooks pretty regularly, I know exactly what happens when you add liquid to salt. Best case scenario, it gets clumpy, and worst case, it dissolves. So you'll want to use something dry to color it instead.

The production and the transport of salt gave rise to new cities and to the construction of roads; such is the case of Salzburg - literally the "city of salt"- and of the via Salaria (the road of the salt) in Italy. Since the most remote past a tax was imposed on salt in numerous countries, but it has largely lost its importance today. Until 1975, in Italy this tax was collected through fiscal monopolies and the imposition of import customs. The State had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt, and fixed the final market price, which included the tax rate of about 70% of the selling price. Discount prices were fixed on salt for agricultural and industrial uses, while its production was tax-free in Sicily, Sardinia and in the towns of Olivigno and Campione d'Italia.