Opinion What is black salt & why is it so popular in vegan cooking?

Ever wondered how to get that distinctive ‘eggy’ flavour in your vegan dishes? Black salt (also called kala namak) is the secret ingredient you’ve been looking for!

Every so often on your plant-based journey, you discover a game-changing new recipe, product, or ingredient that completely blows your mind and levels up your home cooking forever…

And we’re here to tell you: Thanks to its uncanny ability to replicate the taste of eggs in vegan dishes, black salt is one of those inevitable discoveries! 

You might as well cut to the chase and add it to your grocery list now 😉

What is black salt?

Black salt, also known as kala namak, is a type of rock salt harvested mainly from the volcanic regions of India, Pakistan, and Nepal. It commonly features as a seasoning in South Asian cuisine and has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries due to its supposed therapeutic properties.

Thanks to its undeniably ‘eggy’ flavour, black salt has also gained a reputation for being a must-have in your plant-based pantry – it really breathes life into egg-inspired dishes like tofu scramble and vegan quiche!

Is black salt black?

Surprisingly, no. You’d think, from the name, that it would be, but it’s a bit of a misnomer. 

Black salt tends to be more pinkish-brown in colour due to the presence of trace minerals and iron – so keep this in mind when trying to spot it in stores.

Why does black salt taste like eggs? 

When you first crack open a jar of black salt, you might be surprised by just how overwhelmingly it smells of cooked eggs. (…which, naturally, some folks may not actually love, but remember you’re only using a pinch!) The high sulfur content is what gives black salt this authentically eggy aroma and taste.

How to use black salt in vegan recipes 

Black salt is versatile enough that it can be used in all kinds of egg-free dishes to add extra flavour and make them more ‘faithful’ to the egg-based foods they’re mimicking. Here are just a few plant-based recipes that absolutely shine with a generous pinch of black salt:

• Tofu scramble
• Egg-less salad sandwich
• Vegan ‘eggs’ benny
• Vegan French toast
• Veggie fried rice

Where to buy black salt

You can sometimes find black salt in the international section of the supermarket if you’re lucky, but it tends to be much easier to find in South Asian grocery stores, spice shops, specialty health food stores, and vegan-friendly online retailers.

So next time you’re out food shopping or browsing online for ingredients, don’t forget to grab a jar of black salt! Your taste buds will thank you, and your egg-inspired vegan dishes will never be the same.

Keen to discover another game-changing hack for egg-free baking and cooking? Check out aquafaba – a humble (yet truly magical) ingredient that will have you making light, fluffy vegan pavlovas in no time!