Himalayan salt is rock salt (
halite) mined from the
Salt Range mountains in the Pakistani region of
Punjab. The salt is principally
sodium chloride but has trace presence of
calcium,
iron,
zinc,
chromium,
magnesium, and
sulfate, minerals which give some
veins of the salt a pink or reddish color. Himalayan salt is often used as a substitute for common
table salt, sometimes being promoted as a healthier alternative, although there is no scientific evidence to support this. It has also been used as a material for serving dishes,
baking stones, and
griddles. This image of coarse white and pink grains of Himalayan salt, up to 5 millimetres (0.20 in) in diameter, was
focus-stacked from 23 individual photographs.
Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus