What is Kalahari salt, and where does it come from?
Origin of Kalahari Desert Salt
The Kalahari Desert’s edge has a salt lake that receives its primary salt supply from an underground salt deposit that has been there for 280 million years. As a result, the sun-dried gourmet salt is entirely natural, free of chemicals and trickling aids.
Kalahari literally translates as “the land without water.” The salt lake Makgadikgadi, present in this desert 280 million years ago, has since gone, leaving a salt desert in its stead. This salt is extracted from a naturally occurring underground salt lake in the Kalahari desert of South Africa. It is pumped from a great depth and then dried in the sun.
Kalahari desert salt is a fantastic product. This salt is gathered from a region that has never been settled or used for industrial purposes. The salt is broken down by pure water, resulting in a brine solution that the desert sun gently dries. The Kalahari Desert Salt is a complete, nutritional salt that is particularly rich in potassium, magnesium, and sulfur. It also contains essential minerals and trace elements.
An excellent source of nutrients and trace elements, this pure white salt is one of Africa’s gastronomic treasures. Although it goes well with any cuisine, we advise using it most often to enhance the flavors of meat dishes.
What is the Kalahari desert?
Imagine a place where there is nothing. Where the miles-long expanse of soil beneath your feet mocks you with a relentlessly blue sky and a false sense of warmth. The only solace you have are the ferocious vultures circling lazily above you and the sound of your heart, which beats far too quickly to offer any consolation. Welcome to the vast expanse of white Kalahari salt pans that dominate the terrain in the center of the harsh Kalahari desert, often known as “no man’s land”!
Salt pans have only been around for the past 10,000 years, but the desert has been around for more than 60 million years. However, the bizarre scenery competes favorably with the captivating view that Africa is known for, drawing tourists and photographers, and gourmet salt lovers back repeatedly.
Despite being uninhabited, the Kalahari is far from resembling the typical desert we have in mind. The term itself is a translation of the Tswana phrase “Kgalagadi,” which means “the huge thirst,” and resonates with every visitor to this place.
The continual water evaporation from the surface has made the enormous sheet of white sand that makes the Kalahari unyielding. As a result, the desert harbors numerous surprises, including hidden ancient fossils and valuable stones, as well as abundantly growing shrubs, trees, and tall grass.
The Kalahari Salt Pans
The Kalahari salt pans, the largest network of salt pans in the world, are made up of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the Nxai Salt Pans to its north, the Sua Pans, and the Ntwetwe Pans to its east. They were once a component of the massive, old Makgadikgadi lake, which dried up in the previous 10,000 years.
The minerals built up on the surface over a long period reflect the sun’s light and give the surroundings their snow-white hue. It is an ancient environment devoid of modern features, where the earth and sky meld together, and the horizon is all you can make out as a hazy mirage.
An inland drainage system can be found in this region of the desert. After heavy rains, the salt pans briefly fill with water, and the surrounding areas are covered in sweet grass, providing grazing grounds for various wild animals.
How to use Kalahari salt?
Many people believe that Kalahari salt has therapeutic powers. Since this salt has not been compacted, it has undergone no treatment whatsoever—not even the addition of iodine.
Our bodies require a daily diet of pure salt and water to construct our cells and keep an electrolyte balance within and outside of the cells.
The flavor of Kalahari is solid and straightforward. It has a lengthy, satisfying taste in the mouth and is quite delightful.
When you crush this salt, your palette is flooded with iodine overtones as if you had just taken a bite out of the ocean. It leaves a pleasant and lingering taste in the mouth while still being exquisitely powerful but never harsh. Ideal for delicate seafood, white meat, and vegetables.
