Scientific

• Chemists define the mineral halite, or common table salt, as sodium chloride (NaCl). The combination of sodium, an unstable metal that burns when wet, and chloride, a derivative of the poisonous gas chlorine, creates the world’s most widely used preservative and food condiment.

Culinary

• Human taste buds can detect four flavors: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. While many different foods activate both the sweet and sour responses, only one substance ever registers as salty – salt. Salt crystals accentuate the way our taste buds perceive all flavors, which explains why a sprinkle of salt sweetens a not-quite-ripe melon and a pinch of salt bolsters the flavor intensity of a chocolate cake.

Linguistic

• Ancient Greeks purchased slaves with bags of salt crystals and expressed buyer’s remorse with the phrase “not worth his salt.” The word “salary” derived from “salt,” reflecting its use as currency in ancient times. Early Romans salted their leafy greens and vegetables, leading to the word “salad.”