Why is salt so delicious?

Salt can be found in almost every kitchen in the world. But how did this seemingly simple ingredient become the world's favourite flavour enhancer?

This week, Crowdscience sets out to uncover why these tiny crystals have such a powerful effect on us. We explore the magic behind this tiny mineral that has shaped our tongues, our cultures, and our cravings.

Our investigation begins with listener George, who heard from a friend that if he added a few grains of salt to his morning coffee, he could make it taste less bitter. Following some light investigation at his local coffee chain, he began pondering why salt makes things taste more delicious.

To find out, presenter Anand Jagatia heads to a salt mine deep in an Austrian mountain, to find out the origins of our relationship with salt. We board a mine train into the heart of the mountain and learn how the caves here allowed humans to settle and build roots in Europe.

With a food historian, we learn about how human civilisation developed around the control of salt. This takes us on a journey into understanding salt's relationship to capitalism and empire, even triggering revolutions, as well as looking at how it influenced our use of language.

At a kitchen in London, we explore how salt transforms what we eat: sharpening aromas, softening harsh flavours, boosting sweetness, tightening proteins, and making everything seem more… itself. We discover that salt's deliciousness is a chemistry trick as much as a sensory one.

A biologist helps explain how our bodies are highly engineered around salt. From specialised receptors on our tongue that detect sodium, to how salt helps provide energy to our cells.

And we meet a chef who has been looking into neuroscience and pyschology to explore how the brain can be tricked into falsely perceiving saltiness.