287994 Fri Nov 30 11:36:32 -0800 2001 3 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1552129 Last time I went on a spice run to Jackson Hts I picked up some black salt. Not sure what to do with it. Is it really salt? What's the usual way to use it? Fri Nov 30 11:36:32 -0800 2001 0 lucia 1 1552141 Interesting question! Black salt is new to me, too. Here's what I found out. It's an Indian spice. Its Indian name is either kala namak or sanchal. It is a strong-smelling rock salt that adds a "very unusual flavor totally different than its aroma". It's used in snacks and pickles. It is actually pink, or purplish-brown. You can buy it at www.spicesgalore1.com, four ounces for $1.60. Fri Nov 30 12:46:03 -0800 2001 1552129 0 Cats 2 1552144 One use for black salt (kala namak) is on chaat basically the indian version of fruit salad usually in combination with a number of other spices including regular salt, chilipepper, lime juice Fri Nov 30 13:00:27 -0800 2001 1552141 0 zim 3 1552202 Thanks for info. Thing is, I have it already, so last night I put it in a yogurt dressing (with cumin, garlic, coriander powder, etc.) for a chaat that also had spicy dry-cooked potatoes, asofetida papadum cracked up, chickpeas, tamarind chutney, green coriander pickle, cubes of cucumber, and sev. The black salt is really hard and comes in large chunks, like quartz, so I grated it with a microplane, and it smelled sulphuric. I can't put my finger on the taste, but it was sort of like "rotten" salt, with a little sour flavor. Can't think what else to do with it. It was pricey, for Jackson Hts, so I suspect it's valued for something. Sat Dec 01 15:56:31 -0800 2001 1552144 0 lucia