Why Salt Enhances Flavor

This is partially simply due to the fact that “saltiness” is one of the five primary basic tastes the human tongue can detect. And also our brains are wired to think food more palatable if the dedicated taste receptors (one of the six basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent) for salt are triggered (if you’re not familiar with this one, it is from glutamic acid, which is found in many foods, particularly some meats, and is the basis of the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG).

Salt also enhances flavor by helping certain molecules in foods easily release into the air, thus helping the aroma of the food, which is important in our perception of taste. Salt also has been shoen to help supress the bitter taste. Adding a bit of salt won't just increase your salty taste perception, but will also decrease your taste perception of bitter in any given food (which is why it is often sprinkled on grape fruit, for instance, before eating). Adding salt to sweet or sour things doesn't supress their flavors, but helps balance out the taste a bit by making the perceived flavors less one dimensional.

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