How Saltiness Works

Every crystal of table salt is made up of a metal, sodium [Na+], and a gas, chlorine [Cl-]; together, they form the salt we eat, sodium chloride [NaCl]. Salt is an important source of sodium, which helps give our bones their structure (along with other metals like calcium). The sodium and chlorine in salt also carry electric charges and act as electrolytes in our body.

Pure salt (NaCl) tastes like sea water, but unlike sea water, it has no smell, since sodium chloride has no aroma. The distinct, unmistakable smell we associate with the ocean actually comes from ocean algae that produce a volatile substance called dimethyl sulfide that is released into the atmosphere. For us to taste salt, it must be dissolved in water. Even the flaky bits of salt sprinkled on a salad or a slice of buttered toast must first dissolve in the water present in our saliva. When the salt dissolves, the positively charged sodium and negatively charged chlorine molecules separate and split, and their electric charges come into play. Our nerves and brains communicate via electric currents, and salt is one of the major contributors to this electricity. This currency also enables us to taste the salt in our food.