Saltiness

THE WORD “SALT” IS an umbrella term that includes a large group of molecules. In chemistry, a salt is produced from the union of an acid and an alkali; it will contain a positively charged ion and a negatively charged ion. To most cooks, salt represents the tiny white crystals we sprinkle on our food when we cook and just before we eat. But salts are present everywhere in our kitchens. When vinegar (acetic acid) is mixed with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), they react. The liquid left behind contains a salt called sodium acetate. When baking powder is added to a cake batter, salts are produced by the reaction that occurs between its active components. The marble counters in some of our kitchens is made of a salt called calcium carbonate.