Earlier this summer, the Milwaukee Public Market location of The Spice House started carrying these unique slabs and bowls, which come from a 16th century mine in Pakistan. They can be used hot or cold; used hot, they act a bit like a grill. Used cold, they can salt-cure foods.

"We were actually approached by local personal chef Alisa Malavenda, who asked if we could start carrying them," says Kate Stearns of The Spice House.

Himalayan salt block cooking gained a higher American profile after being used in an episode of "Iron Chef America," though you don’t have to be a master chef to use one.

"The very first thing I made on them was fajitas," says Stearns. "You can also cook eggs or, if you wanted to do something cold, gravlax."

The vessels are technically made of a primordial sea salt and contain trace minerals. They do provide seasoning to whatever is cooked on them, but it is not overwhelming. Salt vessels, which have a natural rosy pink color, are nonporous and easy to clean. They are a bit particular in their use in that they have to be tempered or brought to their optimum heat slowly.

"Because they are naturally mined salt, they have a lot of natural cracks," says Stearns. "That doesn’t affect their function at all, but if you try to heat them too quickly, they can shatter."

The good news is that the salt can sustain its set temperature — hot or cold — for quite a long time.

"And because they’re made of a relatively inexpensive commodity, they aren’t terribly expensive either," says Stearns, who notes that the salt vessels sold at The Spice House start at about $6.25 and last for years.