ELI5 Why does salt take away bitter tastes?

r/

If you add salt to coffee it doesn’t taste bitter anymore? just nutty dirt water. Same seems to go for other foods with bitter notes. How?

Comments

  1. Busy_Reference5652 Avatar

    Iirc from Good Eats, salt binds to taste receptors for bitter. So you taste less of the bitter flavor.

    It’s why sprinkling a tiny bit of salt on watermelon or other fruits makes them taste sweeter.