Sauvarchala Lavana
Often known by its Hindi name, kala namak, this is also called black salt and sochal salt. It has a slightly sulphurous taste and smell. It is harvested from halite ore, from the mines in Pakistan. So far then, it is essentially the same thing as Saindhava Lavana. But then it is sealed in a ceramic jar together with triphala bark of babul (the akacia gum tree). The contents of the jar are incinerated in a furnace for twenty-four hours before being cooled and collected. It is heating, light to digest and has a pungent taste. The other method of preparing kala namak uses washing soda, sodium carbonate, known in Sanskrit as shudddha swarjika kshara. The sodium carbonate is dissolved in water, after which the rock salt is added and stirred until it dissolves. This mixture is heated in an intense fire until the water content evaporates and crystals of black salt form.
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Health Benefits and Uses of Sauvarchala Lavana
Sauvarchala lavana clears the channels of the body, improves digestion and is beneficial for colic and constipation. It is good for the heart and helps clear the throat.
