Why does salt make food taste better?

Question

Why does salt make food taste better?

In: 84

Answer 1

Animals, having neurons working with the exchange of sodium and potassium ions (the [“sodium-potassium pump”](https://www.britannica.com/science/nervous-system/Active-transport-the-sodium-potassium-pump) as it’s called) need both electrolytes.

But while potassium is very common in plants, hence food, sodium is rare. And so our taste buds have evolved to make the taste of table salt – *sodium* chloride – pretty pleasant, insuring an adequate supply. (Or even an excessive supply nowadays. Salty tastes good and the product sells well. And each gram of cheap salt adds to the weight of, say, expensive *prosciutto*.)