Salt
One of the most common food enhancers in any kitchen turns out to be the most crucial step in any recipe. You can take away my spices and herbs but if you take away my salt, it’s like taking away any possibility of great food.
Ok so that might be a little bit over dramatic because when you have quality, top-notch products that are as fresh as can be with little additives and a farmer who loves their crops then yes, salt can take the sidelines but that is most likely not the case for most Americans. American crops grown for supermarkets are mostly the products of commercialized factory farms that douse their vegetables in countless additives and insecticides to provide for the masses and when they take away flavor in exchange for volume, salt can amplify what goodness your produce stills has but think about it. How does salt work? Why does salt make food taste better?
If you don’t know yet, The tongue is designed to detect 5 different types of flavors: salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami. When you add salt to food in low concentrations, it releases certain chemicals and flavors in food that may be trapped to make them more accessible to our taste buds. Now, our tongue senses a more “intense flavor" or a “wider" reception of the flavor. Salt also simultaneously decreases the perception of bitter tastes while enhancing sour and sweet tastes. That’s why we sometimes put it on grapefruit and even desserts.
You MUST remember though that Salt does not create or add flavor. Salt only enhances and amplifies the positive flavors that are already present; it cannot turn a gross dish into a tasty one. Think of salt as a speaker for an ipod that when plugged in, allows the song (flavors) to be heard better and perceived better but when plugged into Justin Beiber songs (gross flavors) it will only amplify how much more you don’t like the flavors or his fanbase.
Well, there you have it. A simple mineral found in the beds of seas and walls of caves can turn every dish into a star plate. Maybe next time you’re out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, send compliments to the salt shaker. We know who’s really doing the work.
Sources: 1, 2