Salt

Salt (sodium chloride) is the only mineral we eat in pure form and the most fundamental seasoning in cooking. But its effects extend far beyond taste — salt alters protein behavior, controls water activity, preserves food, and modifies texture in ways that make it one of the most scientifically important ingredients in the kitchen.

Effects on proteins

Salt dissolves into sodium and chloride ions that cluster around charged portions of protein molecules, neutralizing their mutual electrical repulsion. This has two major consequences: