Salt: the first seasoning in human history
Food salt is the mineral halite (sodium chloride, NaCl) combined with small amounts of other minerals that give each type its colour and taste, and it is the only item on the attar's shelf that is not a plant. It comes from three sources: evaporating seawater and salt lakes, mining ancient rock deposits, and brine wells. In Egypt coarse salt is baladi or khashin salt, in Iraq it is habb salt, and in the Gulf fine sea salt is simply table salt. Egypt's salt pans at Alexandria (Mex), Port Said and Lake Qarun are among the oldest and largest sources in the region and export today to Europe and Africa.
Salt carried the value of currency on ancient trade routes, gave Latin the word "salary", and built caravan trade around Siwa and the Delta salt works, while in Arab kitchens it remained the foundation of pickles, salted fish (feseekh), bread and cheese.
Types, varieties and origins
Table salt (fine, regular and coarse)
Highly refined Egyptian sea salt, iodised under the national programme and treated with an anti-caking agent. Fine for the table and dough, regular for daily cooking, coarse for pickling, boiling, feseekh and salting meat.
Natural and coarse sea salt
Solar-evaporated salt from the pans of Alexandria, Port Said and the coast, not chemically refined, so it keeps traces of magnesium and calcium that give a fuller taste. Fine for cooking, coarse for grills, fish and pickles.
Rock salt
Mineral salt from ancient geological deposits (Siwa in Egypt; Iraqi deposits near Fao, Samarra and Kurdistan), sold as large clear-to-grey crystals, used for pickling, in grinders, for salting fish and for ice.
Pink Himalayan salt (coarse and fine)
Mined at Khewra in Pakistan's Punjab from deposits hundreds of millions of years old, its pink colour comes from iron oxide. Purity is 96–98 % sodium chloride with trace minerals. Coarse for grinders and presentation, fine for cooking, with a soft mineral taste.
Black salt (kala namak)
An Indian Himalayan salt traditionally kiln-fired with charcoal, harad seeds and plant matter, which gives it a dark purple colour and a sulphurous (hydrogen sulphide) aroma reminiscent of egg yolk. Essential in Indian chaat masala, common in Indian-influenced Gulf cooking, and used in plant-based dishes to mimic egg.
Smoked salt
Coarse sea salt smoked over oak, beech or hickory for hours, taking on a brown colour and natural smoke flavour. Sprinkled on grills, steak, fish and potatoes.
Flavoured salts (herb, lemon, celery, garlic)
Blends of fine salt with a flavouring: dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano), ground lemon peel, celery seed or garlic powder at roughly 1:3 to 1:4. Used as finishing salts on bread, salads, potatoes and grills.
| Variety | Origin | Character | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table salt | Egypt (Alexandria, Port Said) | Pure, sharp, iodised | Daily cooking, dough |
| Sea salt | Egypt, Mediterranean | Full, lightly mineral | Grills, fish, pickles |
| Rock salt | Siwa, Iraq, Pakistan | Large crystals, pure | Pickles, grinders, salting |
| Pink Himalayan | Khewra, Pakistan | Soft mineral, pink colour | Presentation, grinders, cooking |
| Black salt | India | Sulphurous, egg-like | Chaat, plant-based dishes |
| Smoked salt | Egypt, Europe | Deep smoky | Steak, grills, potatoes |
| Flavoured salts | Local blend | Salty with added flavour | Finishing salt |
Quality standards and grades
Food salt is governed by Codex STAN 150 (food grade salt), which requires at least 97 % sodium chloride on a dry basis and sets heavy-metal limits; Egyptian Standard ES 1 for iodised table salt issued by the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality; the Iraqi Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control standard that mandates iodisation; and the GSO standard for table salt in the Gulf. The key criteria are purity, moisture, water-insoluble matter, iodine, heavy metals and grain size.
| Parameter | Typical acceptable range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium chloride (dry basis) | ≥ 97 % (refined ≥ 99 %) | Codex limit; Himalayan and natural sea 96–98 % |
| Moisture | ≤ 0.5 % (refined), ≤ 3–6 % (natural sea) | — |
| Water-insoluble matter | ≤ 0.2 % (refined), ≤ 0.5 % (rock/sea) | Sand and clay |
| Iodine (iodised salt) | 15–40 mg/kg at consumption (typically 30–70 at production) | Per national programme |
| Lead | ≤ 2 mg/kg | Codex |
| Arsenic | ≤ 0.5 mg/kg | Codex |
| Cadmium | ≤ 0.5 mg/kg | Codex |
| Anti-caking agent (E535/E536/E551) | ≤ 10–20 mg/kg by type | Fine salt only |
| Grain size | Fine ≤ 0.5 mm, regular 0.5–1 mm, coarse 1–4 mm | — |
By eye: clean glossy crystals with no dark specks or dust, and an even colour in coloured salts. By taste: clean salinity with no bitterness (bitterness signals excess magnesium or impurities). By hand: dry and free-flowing. Adulterated pink salt shows a harsh uniform colour or dissolves into tinted water, whereas genuine salt leaves the water clear.
Refining, milling and smoking
Raw sea salt is washed and recrystallised or dried and milled into grades, then iodised (potassium iodate) and treated against caking. Fine milling speeds dissolving but makes salt more hygroscopic, so coarse grades suit long storage and grinders. Natural smoking takes 12–24 hours over cool wood; beware "smoked" salt made with artificial flavour. Black salt is already kiln-fired at high heat, so it is not heated again but sprinkled at the end.
Culinary uses
- Egypt: coarse salt for feseekh, pickles, torshi and boiling; fine for dough and qarish cheese; herbal lemon salt on salads.
- Iraq: habb salt in Basra torshi, boiled kibbeh and masgouf; Himalayan in grinders; black salt in some Indian-influenced Basra dishes.
- Levant: coarse sea salt for makdous, olives and pressed labneh; herb salt on bread with olive oil.
- Gulf: sea salt for salting fish and maleh; black salt in chaat and samosa; smoked salt on grills.
Dosage: 8–10 g salt per litre of boiling water, 15–20 g per kilogram of meat for marinating, 20 g per kilogram of flour for bread, and 50–80 g per litre of pickling brine. Add finishing salts (coarse pink, smoked, flavoured) after cooking to highlight texture and flavour.
Storage and shelf life
Pure salt does not spoil and keeps indefinitely, but iodine declines with light and heat within about 12 months, and flavoured and smoked salts lose their aroma within 9–12 months. Keep salt in a dry airtight container away from cooker steam, add a few grains of rice to the salt cellar to absorb moisture, and keep flavoured salts out of the light.
Traditional and health benefits
Sodium is essential for fluid balance and nerve function, and added iodine prevents the thyroid disorders that were common in the region before fortification programmes. Salt has traditionally been used for gargles, baths and nasal rinses. The trace minerals in pink and sea salt are present in tiny amounts and carry no meaningful nutritional effect despite the marketing. The World Health Organization recommends under 5 g of salt a day for adults, people with blood pressure or kidney conditions are advised to be strictly moderate, and no "natural" salt is exempt from that.
The Sheikh Al-Attareen range
- Fine Table Salt 500 g
- Regular Table Salt 1 kg
- Coarse Table Salt 1 kg
- Natural Sea Salt
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Rock Salt
- Coarse Pink Himalayan Salt
- Fine Pink Himalayan Salt
- Black Salt (Kala Namak)
- Smoked Salt
- Herb Salt
- Lemon Salt
- Celery Salt
- Garlic Salt
Our table and sea salts come from licensed Egyptian salt works in Alexandria and Port Said; we import Himalayan salt from Khewra and black salt from India through approved suppliers, and blend our flavoured salts at our Mansoura facility from our own herbs and peels. Our laboratory checks purity, moisture, iodine and insoluble matter for every lot before packing. Available in our Egypt, Iraq and Syria branches and through the online store.
Frequently asked questions
Is Himalayan salt healthier than table salt?
Nutritionally the difference is negligible; both are over 96 % sodium chloride, and the trace minerals in pink salt make no health difference. Its merit is taste, texture and appearance, while iodised table salt supplies iodine.
Why does black salt smell of eggs?
Because of sulphur compounds formed when it is kiln-fired with charcoal and plant matter, a desirable aroma in chaat and plant-based dishes that softens after cooking.
What is the difference between coarse and fine salt in cooking?
Fine dissolves instantly and measures precisely in dough; coarse dissolves slowly and suits boiling, pickling and salting because it does not over-salt or cake.
Does iodised salt lose its potency?
Yes, gradually with light, heat and humidity over about a year, so keep it sealed in a dark place and use it within its shelf life.