Which are the different varieties of salt?



Salt is now sold in a variety of shapes and size.



Table salt



It is mostly harvested from salt deposits found underground. It’s iodized, highly refined and finely ground, with impurities and trace minerals removed in the process. It’s also treated with an anti-caking agent to keep from clumping.



Kosher salt



It is also called koshering salt. It is flakier and coarser-grained than regular table salt. Its large grain-size makes it perfect for sprinkling on top of meat, where it releases a surprising blast of flavour. Kosher salt also dissolves quickly, making it a perfect all-purpose cooking salt. According to Saltworks, most kosher salt does not contain any added iodine or any anti-caking agents. The salt is used in the koshering process, when surface fluids are removed from meat through drying.



Sea salt



Harvested from evaporated sea water, it is usually unrefined and coarse-grained. It also contains minerals like zinc, potassium and iron, which give sea salt its special flavour. Sea salt is made into several specialty salts.



Himalayan pink salt



Himalayan alt is the purest form of salt in the world. It is harvested by hand from the Khewra Salt Mine in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan. Its colour ranges from off-white to deep pink. It contains the 84 natural minerals and elements found in the human body. Himalayan salt is used in cooking and in spa treatments. You can buy a slab of this salt in the shops in the mountains.



Celtic sea salt



It is also known as sel gris (French for “grey salt”). Celtic sea salt is harvested from the bottom of tidal ponds off the coast of France. The salt crystals are raked out from the mineral-rich seawater and this gives Celtic salt its moist, chunky grains, grey colour and briny taste. Bakers prefer this salt.



Fleur de Sel



The word means “flower of salt.” Fleur de sel is a sea salt hand-harvested from tidal pools off the coast of Brittany, France. Paper-thin salt crystals are cut off carefully from the water’s surface, much like cream is taken from milk. This is done on sunny, dry days with a slight breeze, and only with traditional wooden rakes. This salt is rarely found and needs a lot of work and therefore is the most expensive salt (five pounds of it is 80).



The salt is moist, has a blue-grey tint and is rich in minerals. Fleur de sel is used as a finishing salt to add a dash of flavour to meat, seafood, vegetables and even sweets like chocolate and caramel.



Kala Namak



Kala namak or black salt is Himalayan salt that’s been packed in a jar with charcoal, herbs, seeds, and bark, then fired in a furnace for a full 24 hours before it is cooled, stored and aged. It is reddish-black in colour, has a pungent, salty taste and a faint smell of eggs. It’s often used in vegan and vegetarian dishes to give egg-free dishes the taste of egg. Also used in Ayurvedic practice.



Flake salt



Harvested from salt water through evaporation, boiling or other means, flake salt is thin and irregularly shaped with a bright, salty taste and very low mineral content. Its shape makes the salt dissolve quickly. So this can be used for gargling and oral dehydration therapy.



 



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What are the interesting facts of salt?



The website Saltworks calls the common salt (sodium chloride) a “timeless ingredient.” And goes on to tell you why.



Salt must have been discovered accidentally, we don’t know when. But there are records to show that in 6050 BC (some 8 thousand years ago), salt was used. Around 2700 BC, in a research paper on pharmacology published in China, more than 40 kinds of salt and descriptions of two methods of salt extraction were mentioned. Nomads spreading westward carried salt, and Egyptian art of 1450 BC records salt making. Phoenicians traded salt with parts of their Mediterranean empire. In all the civilizations, salt has been used for cooking, preserving and in cultural, economic and religious practices.



The expression “not worth his salt” comes from the practice of trading slaves for salt in ancient Greece. Special salt rations given to early Roman soldiers were known as “salarium argentum,” (“sal” is salt in Latin) from which we get the word “salary.” Another theory says the word “salad” also came from “salt”, since early Romans added salt to the green leafy vegetables they ate. In ancient times, salt was a highly valued product, and its production was legally restricted. So it was used as currency. The Bible has 30 references to salt including the phrase “salt of the earth.” Salt stood for purity.



World history has close connections with salt. The city of Tuzia in Bosnia-Herzegovina is named for “tuz,” Turkish word for salt. Salzburg, Austria, has made its four salt mines major tourist attractions. Bolivia’s main tourist attraction is a hotel constructed entirely of salt. In the 16th Century, when the Dutch blockaded the Iberian salt mines, Spain went bankrupt and king Philip II was defeated. Mahatma Gandhi’s resistance to British colonial rule was marked by his Dandi march to make salt.



Portuguese and Spanish fleets used the “wet” method of preserving fish onboard with salt, while the French and English fleets used the “dry” or “shore” salting method. Thanks to this, the French and British fishermen became the first European inhabitants of North America since the Vikings a half century earlier.



In America, the Erie Canal, opened in 1825, was known as “the ditch that salt built” because salt was its principal cargo. Syracuse, NY, is proud of its salt history and its nickname, “Salt City.” The important role of salt in the history of Kanas is captured in a salt museum in Hutchinson, KS. In the American West, a “salt war” was fought at El Paso, Texas.



Salt is an extraordinary ingredient. No kitchen can function without it. Plants need salt to survive. It is a great food preservative. Salt is used in a lot of industries. In the 19th Century, techniques using salt were used to make photographic prints. Salt-glazed pottery is still popular in the U.S.



 



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Why Mikaila Ulmer is famous?



If you were stung by a bee, twice, around the same time, you will probably run away from them the next time you see them. But four-year-old Mikaila from Austin, Texas, the U.S. became fascinated with them and is today selling lemonades and donating proceeds from her sales to organizations fighting for the survival of honeybees. This is her story.



Two stings and a cookbook later



In 2009, when she was just four, Mikaila’s parents, both with business degrees, encouraged her to come up with a product for an upcoming children’s business competition and for Austin Lemonade Day. She put on her thinking cap and was coming up with ideas when two interesting events happened in her life – in a span of two weeks, she was stung by two bees, and her great grandmother who lives in Cameron, South Carolina, sent the family a cookbook of hers from the 1940s.



These two moments were to define the path Mikaila was going to choose.



After she was stung by the bees, her parents encouraged her to read up about them and the things they do for the ecosystem instead of becoming averse to them. When she did her research, she learnt about the importance of honeybees and that their population was declining.



That’s when her great grandmother’s cookbook came in handy. Mikaila decided to use a special recipe of flaxseed lemonade her great granny used to make to start her own lemonade stall and help honeybees by contributing proceeds from her stall for their conservation.



This is how her company Me & the Bees was born.



An entrepreneur and a bee ambassador



Mikaila’s company made and sold flaxseed lemonade sweetened with local honey sourced from local beekeepers.



Year after year she would sell out of her Me & the Bees lemonade stall at youth entrepreneurial events and donate a percentage of the profit towards bee conservation.



As the business kept growing, her parents helped her strike the balance between her business and her school life.



In 2015, Mikaila’s business made a breakthrough when it won a contract to supply lemonade to supermarket chain Whole Foods Market. The same year, Mikaila appeared in the U.S. reality show “Shark tank” where she pitched her product to investors. Making an impact, Mikaila found an investor who invested USD 60,000 in her company.



Two years later, a consortium of current and former American football players invested USD 8,00,000 in Me & the Bees lemonade.



In 2015, Mikaila was also invited to the White House by then U.S. President Barack Obama.



Today, Mikaila has sold over a million bottles of her lemonade in the U.S. and is giving speeches at entrepreneurial conferences and workshops. In 2017, she launched her own non-profit – the Healthy Hive Foundation – to conduct research, education and protection projection for honeybees.



Her company continues to donate 10% of all profits to bee conservation groups.



What makes her special?



Her dedication, presence of mind and thought. Despite being stung by bees, she decided to read up on them and help towards their conservation by coming up with a business based on a recipe her great grandmother had sent her around the same time.



Today, even after being in business for nearly 10 years and selling millions of bottles, she continues to donate towards bee conservation.



 



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Who was Mah Laqa Bai?



Mah Laqa Bai of Hyderabad Deccan wore many hats during her lifetime. She was an archer and an expert javelin thrower, and accompanied the Nizam in wars dressed in male attire. Valued for her intellect, she was consulted in court about political affairs. She travelled with a parade of 500 soldiers when she met officials. As per her wish, after her death, her wealth, including jewellery and land, was donated to homeless women.



Born to Raj Kunwar and Bahadur Khan, Chanda Bibi (her birth name) was adopted by Raj Kunwar’s sister Mehtaab Mah, a courtesan. She grew up being exposed to literature and culture. By the time she was a teenager, she was an expert at horse riding and archery. A talented musician and poet, she also mastered Deccani kathak.



She was a courtesan in the Nazim’s court and held a position of respect and power. For her contributions as a warrior she was rewarded pieces of land from the Nizam from time to time. She was bestowed with the title ‘Mah Laqa Bai’ or ‘moon-faced madame’. During her time as  courtesan, she made considerable wealth, which she used to build libraries, sponsor artists and poets and also commission the Mahanama (history of the Deccan).



A staunch feminist, Mah Laqa also built a cultural centre where she educated and trained young girls. He had a walled compound built to hold mushairas (poetic symposiums) every week. It was here that she was buried after her death in 1824.



There were many courtesan during the Deccan Nizam period but none could parallel the strength and authority of Mah Laqa Bai. She was among the first women whose poems were published posthumously – the ‘Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa” is a collection of Urdu ghazals.



Mah Laqa Bai’s works were hard hitting and articulate here’s an example:



Who has the power to praise God, should a tongue try to speak



It’s as if this world were nothing but silent and weak



To tell Muhammad’s virtue, who needs a poet’s glittering gathering?



Keep the tongue from babbling, like a candle’s flowing wick.



Maha Laqa Bai gained ‘Omrah’ status I the Nizam’s court, which is rarely provided to women. As an Omrah, she could attend the Nizam’s durbar and advise him on state policies.



 



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Where is Akbariyeh Garden situated?



Situated in Birjand, the Akbariyeh Garden consists of two ancient mansions belonging to high-ranking officials from the Qajar period in Persia. The garden was created in steep, straight lines, with the buildings situated at the top-most part of the garden. Today, the mansions have been converted into museums.



This building benefits from nice view and excellent decorations including wooden decorations, lattice and sash with colored glass, plaster decorations with arabesques and geometric designs.



Due to a lot of reasons Akbariyeh Garden has been put on the World Heritage List. Among all it should be named, the garden has been created in the steep, straight lines have been used in garden design, the building has been constructed on the highest part of the garden, many pomegranate, berry and palm trees and etcetera.



Today, different parts of the complex are used as library, archaeology and anthropology museum, traditional teahouse and also college of art in Birjand.



 



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When was Shazdeh Mahan Garden built?



Located near Mahan, Iran, this garden was built for Mohammad Hassan Khan Sardari Iravani in 1850. Rectangular in shape with a wall around, the garden has a lower end, while a two-storeyed residential structure adorns the upper end. Between these are ornamented water fountains engineered according to the natural incline.



Garden also consists of a two-storied building for which the second floor was used as living quarters and for receiving guests. Other smaller utility rooms are situated along the sides of the Garden. Amongst them a few side entrances also connect the Garden to the outside.



Water fountains can be seen over the land flowing from the upper ends toward lower ends on a water cascade style at Shazdeh Garden. These fountains look very beautiful and have been provided impetus by the natural incline of the place. The garden itself consists of a variety of pine, cedar, elm, buttonwood and fruit trees which benefit from the appropriate soil, light breezes and qanat water enable such an environment in contrast to its dry surroundings. The water enters the Garden at the upper end and while irrigating the trees and plants along its way, flows down through a series of steps and falls.



The vital resource of Shahzadeh garden is streams originating from adjacent mountains. Tigran qanat, originating from Joupar altitudes, is the water supply of this garden. This stream flows into the garden from the highest level and constitutes the garden’s designed irrigation system.



 



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Which is oldest surviving garden in Iran?



Situated in Kashan, this historical Persian garden was completed in 1590. It is the oldest surviving garden in Iran. It contains a main yard surrounded by four circular towers, and, like other Persian gardens, has several water features.



The garden expresses a series of accentuared contrasts between the arid, inhospitable landscape outside the walls and the lush foliage within. Outside, water is scarce and precious; here it flows with superabundance to produce a dense jubgle of growth. The monotone of the landscape is replaced by the colors of foliage, of flowers, of blue tiles, of fountains, and of painted plaster and woodwork, Axial symmetry contrasts with areas of almost impenetrable growth. The plan of Fin calls sharply to mind the Persian garden carpet, for all elements of multiple channels, orchards, flowers, and pavilions are present in similar relationship. At Fin, all the channels are lined, sides and bottom, with blue faience tiles so that the very water seems bright and gay until it flows into one of the larger pools, lined with great trees. The largest pool mirrors the remains of the central pavilion, ascribed to Fath Ali Shah' The garden was repaired in 1935 and Wilber called for restoration of the central pavilion, which has seen been effected.



 



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Which is non-desert garden in Iran?



Built under the order of Shah Abbas I of Persia in the middle of a jungle, this garden is Iran’s most prominent non-desert garden. The Abbas Abad Garden comprises a palace, towers and a lake with a mansion at its centre, making it a big tourist draw.



Several years ago, archaeologists discovered the wonderful waterworks of the park which had been connected to the water supply system of the city as well as bathhouses, and recreational centers. Built on the top of a slope beside the Abbasabad Dam, the excellent water system had three terraced floors, each used by a specific social class.



The garden has a number of spectacular waterfalls and a stream flowing into the western side of the lake, which gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy walking and even swimming.



The art of garden design in Iran dates back to at least 500 B.C. and was developed in the Safavid era (1501-1722). Iranian gardens were built in desert regions before the Safavid era, but the Abbasabad Garden is one of the rare examples of a garden constructed in a forested region.



 



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Which is well known historical orchard in Iran?



Located in Mehriz, the Pahlavanpour Garden is one of Iran’s historical orchads. The orchard consists of a summerhouse, a winter quarter, a kitchen, a janitor’s unit and a public bathroom. The waters of the orchard are fed by the Hassan-Abad aqueduct. Next to the summerhouse, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the warehouse were situated, which have been recently unearthed throughout excavations which were carried out in this orchard.



The most valuable section of the orchard is the three-storey summerhouse, which covers an area of 1500 square meters. The interior section of the summerhouse includes a hall and a pond. The Kolah Farangi building within the summerhouse has been beautifully decorated and is considered as one of the most valuable sections of the summerhouse.



The other important building is the winter quarter. It is a one-storey building which includes the common room, and kitchen. The janitor’s unit which has been the place of residence and the workshop of the related workers is located in the northern corner of the orchard.



 



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When was Chehel Sotoun built?



Built in 1647, Chehel Sotoun is a pavilion in the middle of a garden covering 67,000 Sq. meters at the far end of a long rectangle shaped pool, in Isfahan, Iran, built by Shah Abbas II to be used for the Shah's entertainment and receptions. It was used by Shah Abbas II and his successors to host receptions and entertain dignitaries. Literally meaning Forty Columns, Chehel Sotoun gets its name from the 20 wooden columns supporting the entrance to the pavilion, which when reflected in the waters of the pool in front look like 40 columns.



 Each column is made of a plain tree with a thin layer of colored board fitted on the skin. The layer was formerly covered with colored pieces of glass and mirror. The wooden pillars support an elegant terrace with a light wooden ceiling of wide fretwork louvers. The terrace is only a few steps high and opens the pavilion onto the gardens and an elegant pool. The ceiling still keeps its beams, covering, painted wood louvers, and carefully lay-work-rosettes and suns, stars, stylized fruit and foliage.



The palace is now a museum of Safavid paintings and ceramics, which attracts millions of domestic and foreign visitors. In 2005 safe guarding plans were to be implemented to include the installation of early fire prevention systems.



 



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When was Eram Garden built?



Located in Shiraz, Iran, this historic Persian garden was built during the mid-13th Century by the paramount chief of the Qashqai tribes of Pars. Following the Chahar Bagh style, the original layout of the garden was most likely laid in the 11th Century by another tribe. The garden and the building belonged to the leaders of the Qashqai tribe before being confiscated by the government. Today, the Eram Garden and the building are within the Shiraz Botanical Garden of the Shiraz University.



Mohammad Qoli Khan ordered the construction of the original mansion that stood on the grounds in the early 18th century, and planted various trees and plants in the garden including pine, orange, cypress and persimmon trees. Later on, during the rule of King Nasser ed-din of the Qajar Dynasty (1785-1925) Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Nasir-al Mulk bought the gardens from the Qashgai tribes and began construction on the present pavilion that now stands in the gardens.



 



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When Dolat Abad Garden built?



Built around 1750, this garden, situated in Yazd, Iran, was meant to be a residence of Persian regent Karim Khan Zand. The pavilion is set amidst the Persian garden lined with evergreen trees. The pavilion boasts Iran’s tallest badger (wind tower) standing at 33 metres.



The tallest wind tower of the pavilion inside the garden is conceivable from miles away. This traditional air-conditioning system of local houses around the desert in Iran is the essential elements at the residential structures. However, the exaggerated grand size of this wind catcher functioned perfectly well. Actually the Dolat Abad garden is also renowned for having Iran’s tallest badgir (the wind tower), that is standing over 33 meters; though this one was rebuilt after it collapsed in the 1960s.



The most significant characteristics of the design of Dolat Abad Garden is believed to be the attempt of the architect in selecting tactful angles for providing the best views and landscape internally.



 



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When was Pasargadae Garden built?



Established in the 6th Century BC, along with the city of Pasargadae by Cyrus the Great, the garden of Pasargadae are the oldest among the nine gardens and the earliest-known example of the Chahar Bagh design. They consisted of several palaces in the four quadrants and were divided by pathways and waterways.



Pasargadae has in fact one really superb piece of architecture: it is the tomb of Cyrus, situated right on the edge of the main palace complex. According to Arrian, it was restored by Alexander the Great and has a quiet simplicity that ensures its place in every book on world architecture. Indeed, today it holds a special place at the heart of modern Iran, and it is splendidly displayed at the end of a flower-lined avenue.



Cyrus deserves his special place in the history of modern Persia. He began as a ruler of a petty kingdom in the southwestern corner of the habitable part of modern Iran. He started by conquering the Medes who were then top dogs in that area. He then went west and conquered Croesus, king of the Lydians, and the young Greek city states in what is now the western coast of Turkey. And he then went on to conquer Babylon, thereby establishing the Persians as the main power in the Near East.



 



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What is the history of Persian Garden?



The Persian garden design evolved around the 6th Century BC during the time of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Archaemenid Empire. It finds its roots in the idea of an earthly paradise made popular by Persian literature and is conceived to symbolize Eden and the four Zoroastrian elements of sky, earth, water and plants. Gardens following the Persian design reflect the flexibility of the Chahar Bagh, which is the originating principle of the Persian garden. Meaning ‘four gardens’, the Chahar Bagh follows a quadrilateral garden layout based on four gardens of paradise mentioned in the Qur’an. Hence, the Persian garden is always divided into four sectors with water playing an important part in the design, especially for irrigation and ornamentation.



The Persian garden design combines manmade components with nature and incorporates concepts of art, philosophy, symbolism and religion. Designed with the ability to withstand drastic climatic conditions, the Persian garden is inspired by the application of different fields of knowledge such as technology, water management and engineering, agriculture, botany and architecture.



Apart from plant or flower beds, one can find architectural elements such as buildings, walls and pavilions in the Persian garden.



Having found references in poetry, literature, music, calligraphy and carpet design, the Persian garden design has influenced the art of garden design in places as far as India and Spain.



 



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What are the main features of Mughal Chahar Bagh Garden?



Two 18 feet-wide canals running north to south and two canals running east to west, criss-cross the mauin garden. Six red sandstone fountains with sculpted discs resembling lotus leaves beautify the intersections.



Stone pathways alongside the canals cut the garden into a geometric mosaic of green lawns and vivid flowers. The turf is made of soft ‘doob’ grass. Trees like bakul, cypress and China Orange trees are evenly spaced over an area of six hectares. Among the evergreen fragrant shrubs and creepers grown here are raat ki rani, mogra, juhi, gardenia and bougainvillea.



The rose garden here is one of the best in India. There are 250 celebrated varieties of roses including the Bonne Nuit, which is almost black and also a rare green specimen. Many of the roses have interesting names like First Prize, Happiness, Iceberg, Granada, Bejazzo etc.



Seasonal flowers are planted twice a year so that they bloom on the occasion of Republic Day and the Independence Day. A wonderful sight greets visitors in winter when annuals like dahlia, aster, carnation, chrysanthemum, marigold, poppy, etc. are planted in combinations of varying heights to create a spectacular pyramid of flowers.



A long shaded walkway whose walls are lined with creepers leads to the circular sunken garden around a pool. The flowers here attract many butterflies. The garden also has an enviable collection of bonsai.



 



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