Why does salt make food taste different?

Salt changes food because it affects both taste and smell. A small amount can quiet bitterness, help flavor molecules spread through saliva, and change which aromas reach the nose while you chew. It usually makes the flavors already in the food easier to notice.

The strange part is that salt is not adding vanilla, tomato, or roast flavor of its own. It nudges your senses so sweet can seem sweeter and savory can seem fuller, until too much salt takes over and hides everything else.