These days we find food from all over the world in our
grocery stores, but this Himalayan brick I spotted at my regular grocery store made me wonder : is it really from the Himalayas*? Is it something like Turkish delight? (A pink confection made of a gel of starch and sugar). The answers : yes, it is from the Himalayas; it is a pure salt brick; no, it is not manufactured; it may in fact have been formed millions of years ago ! It needs to be tempered (warmed up) before its first use, and it can be re-used many times after that for serving up food such as sushi, or finely sliced meats.
*Am I putting my ignorance about food on display here? I’m a pretty simple guy when it comes to food – but I would have the reader know my favorite kind of toast is one with Marmite and avocado, and my favorite veggies are Brussels sprouts and asparagus.