15/01/2017
# Rock salt is another name for the mineral halite which is commonly known as sodium chloride and has a chemical formula NaCl.
# It is commonly known as TABLE salt or ‘Sendha namak’ or ‘kala namak‘ in Hindi, ‘Rati Uppu‘ in Telugu, ‘Intuppu‘ in Tamil, ‘Kallu Uppu‘ in Malayalam, ‘Kalluppu‘ in Kannada, ‘Shende Lon‘ in Marathi, ‘Sindhalun‘ in Gujarati and ‘Saindhava Lavan‘ in Bengali.
# It is mostly colorless or white though its color may vary from light blue, dark blue, purple to pink, red, orange, yellow or grey depending upon the amount and type of impurities present in it.
# It is formed by the evaporation of salty water from large water bodies such as inland marginal seas, enclosed bays and estuaries in semi-arid regions where it is found in enormous deposits.
# In the Indian subcontinent, it is found in the Himalayan region where it known as the Himalayan crystal salt.
# There is a difference between the rock salt and the common salt that we mostly consume.
# Sendha namak is the purest form of rock salt that is available in India in small quantities.
# Thus, it is costlier than commercial salt. Unlike commercial salt which is iodized, rock salt is more granular with large chunky crystals, has less salty taste and is not chemically processed.
# It can be used as a healthy substitute of common salt as it is rich in minerals and does not pose health problems like high blood pressure, puffiness in the body or eyes.
# It is used in making ice creams as it lowers the freezing point when packed with ice in the ice cream maker, thus making the ice cream colder.
# It is mostly used for seasoning and preservation. Apart from consumption, it is stocked in massive bags for the purpose of keeping down ice on the roads in winter.
