If you have been around someone from India, been to India or eaten Indian food, you may have heard the word "namkeen." What does it mean, exactly?Namkeen is the Hindi word used to describe a savory flavor. The word namkeen is derived from the word Namak (meaning salt). Namkeen is also used as a generic term to describe savory snack foods. Both black and regular white salt are used in Indian cooking, which gives it the salty flavor many people like.