Why is salt important in cooking?

Salt is a key seasoning in cooking. When added to food or even drinks, salt enhances the flavors of other ingredients and helps amplify subtle flavors that may otherwise be lost. While on its own salt may be overwhelming or one-note, a moderate amount of salt added to a dish will help bring out the flavors of other ingredients in a dish. Cooks have a choice of a variety of types of salt. Common table salt is typically fine crystals, while the popular kosher salt tends to have larger, flatter flake like shapes which make it easier to pinch, pick up, and sprinkle onto food. Regardless of the type of salt, common table salt is chemically sodium chloride, or NaCl.