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Rock salt from the Salt Range
The pink salt sold worldwide as “Himalayan” comes from one range of hills in Punjab.
$8–40
Find Khewra salt on Amazon ↗If you buy through this link we may earn a small commission. It never changes your price.
The story
The pink salt sold around the world as “Himalayan salt” comes from the Salt Range in Punjab, about 300 km from the Himalayas. The Khewra mine is one of the oldest and largest salt mines in the world.
Its colour comes from traces of iron and other minerals. Cooks use it at the table, grill on heated salt blocks, and carve it into lamps.
In pictures
Photos coming soon. Each frame below says what it will show.
History
Local legend says the salt was found when horses from Alexander’s army were seen licking the rocks. Mining here was organised on a large scale in the Mughal era and expanded under British rule.
Inside the mine, workers have carved chambers and a small mosque built from salt bricks, and the mine is now a tourist site.
How it’s made
Salt is cut from chambers deep in the hill, leaving pillars to hold the roof.
Blocks are sorted from white to deep pink.
Salt is crushed for the kitchen, or cut into blocks, lamps and tiles.
Food salt is cleaned, graded and packed.
Kinds
For cooking and grinders.
Heated slabs for searing food.
Carved or natural salt lamps.
In Pakistan
Pakistani kitchens use rock salt daily. Salt lamps glow in homes and spas, and salt blocks are used to cook and serve.
Buy it well
| Genuine | Likely a copy |
|---|---|
| Irregular colour and veins | Uniform dyed pink |
| Product of Pakistan on the label | No origin given |
Where to buy
We may earn a small commission. Your price is the same.
Find Khewra salt on Amazon ↗Typical price: $8–40, before shipping. Read the “Buy it well” checks above before you order, and ask the seller for photos of the exact piece.
Questions
No. It comes from the Salt Range in Punjab, south of the Himalayas.
It is still salt, mostly sodium chloride. Use it for flavour and looks.
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