What makes roasted peanuts sold on the roadside delicious? What makes
amra (hog plum), kamranga (star fruit), chatpati, phuchka, chanachur
and muri and all germ filled unhygienic street food so irresistible?
I'll tell you what. Its black salt, more commonly known as beet-lobon.
If you are Bangladeshi, then you are familiar with this pinkish orange,
deliciously pungent smelling, heavenly condiment.
Beet-lobon is good with almost anything and once you start eating it,
it's really, really difficult to stop. I tell you this from personal
experience. A few weeks ago, folks up at our office canteen added
beet-lobon to their menu. At first, those of us who are lovers of all
things unhealthy and fattening, were so excited, we went up to the
canteen at least three times a day and ate it with every greasy item
they serve (puri, keema-puri, kebab, paratha, rooti, daal, halim, chop
etc etc).
But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and so
it did. Some of us, and I am not mentioning any names, became paranoid
(true to our nature) and started believing that anything that tastes
this amazing can't possibly be good for us.
It started with “We should really stop, or at least reduce the amount
we eat,” and “Did you know it causes kidney problems,” and “It will
make you anemic!” and escalated to “hide it from Anika,” and “ We forbid
you to serve it to any of us, even if we beg for it.”
I admit, eating it with doughnuts and cookies and mixing it with tea
may have been the root cause of some of this alarm, but mostly it was a
strong belief that beet-lobon is bad for you.
After several arguments and tantrums, I was given an assignment to
find out the negative effects of this special salt and write a health
piece to cure my obsession. I took the assignment grudgingly, but I
actually started enjoying it once I started my research.
Beet-lobon or black salt, is made of sodium chloride and has trace
impurities of sodium sulfate, iron sulfide and hydrogen sulfide. The
salty taste comes from sodium chloride, and its purplish hue comes from
iron sulphide. All the sulphur compounds give it a bitter taste and its
characteristic smell.
Although hydrogen sulphide, which is the main contributor of this
smell, is toxic in nature, the amount present in beet-lobon is small and
therefore not harmful for us. Some sources say that this salt is
created from harad seeds, while others suggest that it is a natural
halite, found in the mines. The salt crystals are black , but turn into a
pinkish orange colour when they are ground to a fine powder.
Contrary to popular belief (among my colleagues and a few friends),
black salt has its benefits. In North India, it is considered a cooling
spice in ayurvedic medicine and is used as a digestive and laxative aid.
It also helps relieve heartburn and intestinal gas. It is believed to
be lower in sodium and therefore does not increase the sodium content in
the blood and is used by people with high blood pressure and those who
are on low-salt diets.
This salt is not only used as a remedy for constipation, hypertensive
patients are also advised to have this salt instead of common salt.
Black salt is also used to cure skin swelling, and stomach swelling
caused by indigestion and other illnesses. It cures stomach cramps,
gastric troubles and helps reduce phlegm and other inflammation. It is
also used in medicines to reduce the risks of various conditions ranging
from heart disease to cancer.
Of course, large quantities of anything is bad for us and too much of
black salt may cause diarrhea and low blood pressure. Did I mention
it's also an aphrodisiac?
I sincerely hope that after this little rant, I will once again have
access to the beet-lobon bottle hidden in the canteen and this time, be
allowed to eat in peace. To my colleagues I would like to come out of
the closet and finally admit:
My name is Anika and I am a beet-lobon addict.
I feel better already
News Source:
The Daily Star