Healthy ways to use a Himalayan salt block in your kitchen
Looking to add a new flavour to your summer? Hochanda are bringing you the incredible range of must-haves from Salthouse & Peppermongers, who use their products made from Himalayan salt rock to create an opportunity to do things a little different, a little healthier and a little better. If you are ready to introduce your taste buds to a new world of fireworks in the mouth, then read on!
Salt is the world’s oldest form of seasoning, but why is it so important in food? Great question! The marriage of salt and food enhances the flavour by allowing the food to release molecules into the air – this boosts the aroma of the food and how we experience the taste!
It is worth noting that the salt blocks are not technically from the Himalayas, but from the ancient ‘Salt Range’ in Pakistan. They were discovered when Alexander the Great’s troops spotted their horses licking away at the local cliffs. Since then, people have identified the high mineral content of the salt rock, with it being rich in calcium, sodium, and iron. It has become the perfect place for Salt House to get their salt rock from!
Golden Rules
- Always heat the block up slowly
- Cooler block = Saltier result
- Longer on the block = Saltier Result
- Wetter food = Saltier result
What can they do?
The possibilities are endless! Thanks to its excellent heat distribution, the Himalayan salt block will transform your cooking as it reduces cooking, freezing and chilling time, and adds a whole new dimension of flavour. If you are looking to use it just for presentation, you won’t be disappointed with the thinner cuts… beautiful and translucent – a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach!
Chilling
Placing the block in the fridge to chill makes chilling your food all the easier! If you want it less salty, then limit the amount of time the food spends on the block (especially with wetter foods) by serving immediately, or placing the food on a bed of salad leaves etc. to shield the food from the block it’s laying on.
Freezing
A block can be immersed in liquid nitrogen to -321ºc, but a few hours in a freezer can lead to some interesting and impressive results!
Cooking
From crispy pizza to succulent grilled chicken, get ready to taste like you have never tasted before. The block will not keep its natural good looks when cooking with it, as it becomes scorched, but you will find its beauty transferred into your food! Thicker cuts that are less veined are better for cooking with. One of the main health benefits is that there is no need for oils and fats when cooking with a salt block!
Curing
Fish, meats or vegetables can be sandwiched between two salt blocks (or a block and a hard place) and left in a cool room or fridge – Salthouse & Peppermongers recommend compressing salmon in this way to make the perfect mouth-watering gravlax.
Other health benefits
Himalayan salt blocks have a lower sodium content as compared to regular table salt, but there’s enough in there to maintain the body’s essential pH, so this is a brilliant way to maintain the electrolyte balance. The salts anti-bacterial properties will also cleanse your food whilst seasoning!
To sum up, in a world of heavily manufactured and artificial products, you will struggle to find a product as pure as this ancient Himalayan salt rock.
Is your mouth watering yet? Head to www.hochanda.com to learn more and grab a Himalayan salt block for your kitchen, and get ready for your summer BBQs!
