What is the difference between pink salt and more typical coarse salt (e.g. sea salt)?
I know it is pink due to mineral deposits, but culinarily is it any different? e.g. does it taste different, is it used differently, etc.
Since there may be more than one kind of pink salt, I'm talking specifically about "Himalayan Pink Salt".
In my experience, the difference between various salts has little to do with flavor, once you've moved beyond iodized table salt and bulk kosher salt, and assuming we aren't talking about salts that are flavored by additions like herbs or smoke during processing.
So limiting the discussion to natural, high quality finishing salts, the differences are mainly texture and color. Some salts, like Maldon, are flaky, while others are large pyramids or cubes, and others tend to a small grain size and hold on to a bit of moisture. Each of these textures can bring something special to a finished dish. For example, flaky Maldon adds a delightful crunch, while another salt might adhere better to a French fry.
Color, like the pink salt you mention, is used pretty much for the visual interest. And there is nothing wrong with that. Simply save it for a dish where it will be noticeable. For example, those pink grains would look amazing on a chocolate truffle, or a savory meringue.
If anyone thinks they can actually taste the difference among unflavored finishing salts, I'd challenge them to do a triangle test with those salts dissolved in water (in equal amounts by weight) so that texture and color isn't confusing the issue.
In the Good Eats episode "The Ballad of Salty and Sweet" Alton Brown spends a few minutes, toward the end of the show, covering "Finishing Salts" (including "Pink Salt"). Other than trace minerals which give it coloring there is no 'real' difference.
From a culinary perspective "Himalayan Pink Salt" and Coarse Salt are about the same. Himalayan salt is mined from the himalyayan mountains, coarse salt is typically derived from evaporation, I believe. Coarser grains are better from marinating while the finer grains typically found in Himalayan salt make it better for finishing. There are some small trace mineral differences, but they are not very distinct taste wise.
Important note that "Pink Salt" can also refer to curing salt, which is something entirely different. It is sodium nitrate where table salt is sodium chloride.
Himalayan salt from Pakistan has a strong magnesium taste.
I just about destroyed a big pot of chicken noodle soup by using pink salt, Himalayan salt, from Pakistan. The magnesium is overwhelming. Will not make that mistake again.
As it's typically much more expensive and (depending on your taste) more flavorful, pink salt is used as a garnish salt, not a "lets salt the french fries or season this big pot of mashed" kind of salt.
I personally think it's more flavorful, but I like spring water over distilled water for the same reason. A little bag of Himalayan salt should be a cheap enough ($4 or $5) experiment to see if you like it.
Himalayan Pink Salt, I personally can taste an IMMENSE difference over table salt. I also have bought Hawaiian Red gold sea salt, which is flavored/colored with clay. This is one of the tastiest salts I have ever tried. I have also tried black salt ("black lava salt"), which is actually sea salt colored with activated charcoal. The world is full of hundreds of culinary options for salt. Experiment with them all and enjoy!
In my experience Himalayan pink salt has a bright sharp taste to it that regular table salt doesn't seem to have. However this could be due to the fact the pink salt I was eating comes from a container with a grinder on the top and the table salt comes from a regular salt shaker. It could be that texture plays a role.
I don't know if this would taste different if it was dissolved in liquid or not.
I just bought some Himalayan Sea Salt this weekend to give it a try. We used it tonight at dinner. I could tell a slight taste difference, which I liked. My husband couldn't taste any difference, but he did like the difference in texture from regular table salt. I believe the taste difference is going to be different for each person. I notice more subtle taste than my husband does, while he notices texture differences more than I do.
Pink salt is not table salt with food coloring- pink salt is Himalayan salt which is a natural occurring substance. Beside sodium chloride, it contains minerals that are found in the human body.
I started using Himalayan pink salt for health reasons, but now I prefer it on flavor alone. In a broth it adds a subtle depth and richness just plain salt doesn't seem to offer. I have also used it in a glass with water as a mouth wash. I have noted that there is a pink sediment in the bottom of the glass that seems to be rock dust.
Different types of rock dust are added to soil as a practice of organic gardening and help plants fight disease and just be stronger and healthier plants.
It is hard to separate food from health awareness.
The pink color is due to trace elements of iron oxide (i.e. rust) in the salt deposits. Looks nice and generally regarded as safe.
Note that if you use pink salt for regular cooking, you're not getting the additional iodine which iodized salt provides, so you should make sure that you are getting enough iodine from other sources.
As mentioned at the end of the Answer by Manako, the term pink salt can mean a curing salt.
A curing salt is a combination of:
Not to be confused with pink-colored table salts, such as Himalayan pink salt, which are plain sodium chloride laced with various minerals.
CAUTION There may be health concerns about nitrates/nitrites in food, so you certainly should not mistake a curing salt with a pink-colored table salt.
Use of the "pink salt" (curing salt) to make Corned Beef is shown in Cook's Illustrated magazine and the correlating episode of America's Test Kitchen TV show.
I think it's less salty, but sharper tasting. To me, it seems like it has a spiciness, with I find is a positive thing.
Pink salt tastes noticeably different from regular salt. Anybody who claims to the contrary does not have access to good quality Himalayan salt. It has a hint of pungency which becomes less noticeable in foods which are very well cooked in terms of cooking time and temperature. This suggests that it has some volatile compounds as well. In traditional Indian cooking we call it as something in between the regular seasalt and the notoriously pungent black salt aka kala namak.
Also, Himalayan salt aka Sendha Namak is less salty than regular salt therefore it is added in greater quantities.
Take simple potates cooked with a little canola oil and then sprinkle each type of salt and you will notice the difference.
I've been using Himalayan Pink Rock Salt for a while now and I can definitely taste a HUGE difference, even between it (and its brothers in the naturally-refined-coloured-salt-gang, Red and black Hawaiian salts) and sea salt.
I have just started using the Himalayan Pink Salt in the last five to six month sand find the taste is much better than any type of table salt I've used before. Most table salt I've used I find has a bitter aftertaste. The Himalayan Pink Salt has no such aftertaste whether in the food or tasting the salt directly on my tongue.
Himalayan pink salt isn't your average table salt. Hand-harvested and minimally processed, it contains 84 minerals and trace elements including magnesium, calcium, copper, potassium and iron, according to the website The Greater Green.
Regular table salt is "actually full of many forms of chemicals and even sugar", according to natural health website Global Healing Center. This type of salt is difficult to digest and can lead to inflammation of the tissues, high blood pressure and bloating. Himalayan pink salt is easier for the body to process, requiring far less cellular water in order to neutralize the sodium chloride content in chemically-treated salt.
