evidence: Himalayan salt is a type of halite containing specific trace elements that give it a reddish hue. The red intensity mainly depends on the amount of iron present in the salt. Most Himalayan salt is pink, but some can be orange, dark red, or in some rare cases, totally white. [...] Skilled workers mine Himalayan salt with traditional methods in Pakistan's Salt Range mountains, which are located on the southern border of a fold-and-thrust belt beneath the Pothohar Plateau, south of the Himalayas. Himalayan salt is derived from the Salt Range Formation's thick coating of Ediacaran to early Cambrian evaporites. [...] In recent years, Himalayan salt has been popular due to its numerous advantages and applications; over 800 million pounds of Himalayan salt are mined each year in Pakistan.