BBC World Service - CrowdScience, Why does salt taste so good? Homepage Accessibility links * Skip to content * Accessibility Help Close menu BBC World Service CrowdScience * Home * Episodes * Clips * Podcast * Contact CrowdScience * Join us on Facebook Main content Listen now Why does salt taste so good? CrowdScience Salt is a simple chemical compound. Why do people crave the taste of it? Show more 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 culture, and our cravings. Our investigation begins with CrowdScience 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 wondering why salt make things taste more delicious. To try and find an answer, presenter Anand Jagatia heads to a salt mine in Austria with Daniel Bradner, an archaeologist from the Natural History Museum of Vienna. The mine is 200 kilometres from the sea, so where does all the salt come from? In London, UK, we meet Adriana Cavita, a chef who helps us explore how salt transforms what we eat:  sharpening aromas, softening harsh flavours, and boosting sweetness. We explore the receptors inside our mouth with taste expert Courtney Wilson from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in the US, to find out how we detect whether there’s too much or too little salt in our food.    And we meet Joel Geerling, Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Iowa, US, who’s been looking inside the brain to try and work out why we crave salt. He’s discovered an incredible system that’s highly engineered to give us an appetite for salt. Could it be the answer to George’s question? Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Measuring Teaspoon of Sea Salt with Vibrant Colors - stock photo JannHuizenga via Getty Images) Show less Download Choose your file * Higher quality (128kbps) * Lower quality (64kbps) Available now 26 minutes Last on Mon 20 Apr 2026 12:32 GMT BBC World Service Australasia, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa only More episodes Previous When will the next super-volcano erupt? Next Do animals hold funerals? See all episodes from CrowdScience Featured * . Broadcasts * Fri 17 Apr 2026 19:32 GMT BBC World Service * Mon 20 Apr 2026 01:32 GMT BBC World Service except Americas and the Caribbean * Mon 20 Apr 2026 04:32 GMT BBC World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only * Mon 20 Apr 2026 08:32 GMT BBC World Service * Mon 20 Apr 2026 12:32 GMT BBC World Service Australasia, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa only Show more / Show less Podcast * CrowdScience Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe Related Content Similar programmes By genre: * Factual > Science & Nature > Science & Technology By format: * Discussion & Talk * Online schedule * Help & FAQs * Contact us * News in more than 40 languages * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Parental Guidance * Contact the BBC * Make an editorial complaint * Careers * BBC emails for you * Advertise with us Copyright (c) 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.