Why does salt make food taste better?

Salt enhances flavor primarily by suppressing bitterness, which allows other tastes like sweetness and umami to come through more prominently. It also directly stimulates taste receptors on the tongue, amplifying the overall intensity of flavors already present in food. Sodium ions interact with taste receptor cells and can block bitter taste receptors while enhancing savory ones. Salt also draws out moisture through osmosis, which concentrates flavors in meat and vegetables. Additionally, it helps release aromatic compounds, making food smell more appealing, which is closely tied to how we perceive taste. Essentially, salt doesn't just add its own flavor but acts as a flavor enhancer that makes the existing complexity of a dish more noticeable and balanced.