I'm interested in curing meat, and most recipes require pink salt (which contains nitrites to help cure the meat). Is Himalayan pink salt the same thing?
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No, these are completely different products.
As you indicate, so called "pink salt" is a mixture of sodium chloride (regular salt) and sodium nitrate (or sodium nitrite) for curing meats, tinted pink to distinguish it from regular table salt. it allows relatively accurate small batch curing, as in home sausage making.
Himalayan pink salt is a naturally mined rock salt, whose impurities can tint it a variety of colors, including pinkish, from iron oxide.
Hawaiian pink salt is another naturally harvested salt whose red clay impurities tint it a pink color.
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No, they’re not the same. Himalayan pink salt is a naturally occurring salt mined from the Himalayan mountains and gets its pink color from trace minerals. It’s great for seasoning and even has some unique flavor notes.
The pink salt used for curing meat, often called Prague Powder #1 or curing salt, is a specific blend that includes sodium nitrite. This nitrite is essential, it helps develop that classic cured color and flavor, and it’s critical for preventing harmful bacteria from growing in the meat.
So if you’re curing meat, be sure to use the proper curing salt with nitrites, not Himalayan pink salt.
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I have been using Himalayan Pink Salt for years...it is the only salt I use.
Curing salt is basically table salt with some added chemicals. It is merely dyed pink to help it blend better with meat.
Himalayan Pink Salt is not processed like table salt. Himalayan contains additional trace minerals.
Salt with trace minerals always has a non-white color. Celtic Sea Salt, for example (which is really good salt) has a brownish sandy color. Pink Himalayan salt is a sort of sandy rose or pink color. All the truly natural full-spectrum salts are sandy, pink, or brownish in color.
