Salt comes in various forms, from fine grains like table salt, to larger, more delicate flakes. Whether sourced from seawater or mined from ancient salt deposits, this essential seasoning has been used for centuries in cooking and food preparation. One of salt’s most remarkable properties is that it never truly goes bad. As a mineral, salt is inherently stable and doesn’t support microbial growth. While certain types of salt may lose potency, clump up, or change in texture, the core structure of the salt will remain intact.

According to the company Sea Salt, who call themselves "purveryors of exquisite salts":

Salt elevates the flavor of food. Whether it's a pinch of kosher salt sprinkled on a dish or a complex seasoning like Himalayan pink salt, salt plays a crucial role in the culinary world. How salt affects the taste of food is fascinating and complex, involving both the physical properties of salt and its interaction with our taste buds. Salt enhances two of our basic tastes: sweet and umami while suppressing bitterness.

So just how does this work?

Enhancing Sweetness: One of the most significant ways salt affects flavor is by making sweet foods taste sweeter. Salt has the ability to suppress the perception of bitterness, which in turn highlights the sweetness in foods. This is why a small amount of salt is often added to sweet baked goods, such as cookies or brownies, or to desserts like caramel or chocolate. Salt reduces the bitter notes in these treats and makes the sweetness more pronounced.

Balancing Flavors: Salt can also create a more harmonious balance of flavors. In many savory dishes, a pinch of salt can round out the flavors, bringing a complexity that might be missing without it. It does this by acting as a flavor enhancer, intensifying the taste of other ingredients. For example, adding a touch of salt to a tomato-based pasta sauce brings out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes, creating a well-rounded dish.

Enhancing Umami: Umami, often described as a savory or "meaty" taste, is another flavor that salt enhances. Salt interacts with glutamate, a naturally occurring amino acid in foods like tomatoes, mushrooms, soy sauce, and cheese. This interaction amplifies the umami flavor, which is why salt is often used in conjunction with these ingredients to deepen the savory taste profile.

Salt and the Role in Texture and Mouthfeel: Salt also affects the texture of food in subtle ways. In baking, salt can strengthen the structure of doughs and batters by interacting with proteins, helping them bind more effectively. In meats, salt draws moisture to the surface, which can result in a crispy texture when cooked. This is one of the reasons why salted caramel or salted chocolate are so delightful—the salt enhances both the flavor and the texture, creating a multi-sensory experience.

Denver, Colorado is 5,276 feet above sea level, hence the nickname “Mile High City.” 

The altitude there has been credited and blamed for the effects it has on unaware or unprepared visitors from lower elevations. People feel the effects of lower air pressure and decreased oxygen when they arrive; the same goes for visiting athletes. 

Sure, they’re better conditioned than Joe or Jane Average, but they’re drawing more on the thin air in their competitive exertions. Many, if they’re honest, have stories to tell about needing rather quickly to find their second wind and taking a few days to acclimate enough that their performances don’t suffer.

Such teams as the Nuggets, Avalanche, Broncos, and Rockies actually employ marketing schemes to plant seeds doubt in visiting teams, amplifying the disadvantages posed to those athletes who are not properly altitude trained. For example, at Ball Arena, there is signage where visiting teams enter and exit noting the city’s altitude. The numbers 5,280 are printed right on the court, near each free-throw line. The video board during introductions welcomes the road team with an ominous warning about the difficulty in catching one’s breath. Then, there are large, hazard-orange-and-black placards on display (“Attention: Altitude Warning/Low Oxygen”).

In fact, the intimidating marketing is right there in the name ... "Empower Field" at "Mile High Stadium"!

In response, we often see oxygen tanks used on the visiting teams’ sidelines to help them try to catch their breath.

There is a whole school of athletic training based on high-altitude workouts. Olympic athletes routinely seek out facilities in Denver and Colorado Springs to boost their oxygen efficiency, and countless trainers and gyms simulate the effects with dedicated breathing equipment.