There are 2 different physical sensations for tasting salt. One for low salt that tastes good and one for high salt that tastes bad. This is believed to help regulate salt intake.
https://knowablemagazine.org/article/food-environment/2023/salt-taste-surprisingly-mysterious
If I put the smallest amount of salt in a glass of water it tastes bad. But I can salt the hell out of one spoonful of eggs and it tastes good.
*The link speculates it might be how the chloride dissolves vs how the sodium dissolves but says:
But as to exactly how chloride might cause high-salt taste, “Nobody has a clue,” says Roper.
Slightly salty water shouldn't taste bad. Soda and Gatorade are both relatively salty. If you are dehydrated, you might even prefer water with a dash of salt. In fact, Dasani et Al, carefully control the salt balance to make the flavor right.
But yeah. Water is tasteless so a pinch of salt goes a long way when there is no fat or protein (or sugar) to cut it.
I know that in Lithuania, they drink lightly salted water: https://www.kaina24.lt/s/vytautas-mineralinis-vanduo/
So while I don't doubt your taste buds, I think it's a cultural thing whether a bit of salt in water tastes bad 😄
Too much salt. Try less. I regularly have to drink slightly salty water to maintain hydration. Like, half a pinch to a pint.
Mostly, salt adjusts flavor profiles, and water is supposed to taste like nothing so adjusting that makes brain upset.
Salt: " I have adjusted the flavor. Pray I don't adjust it further"
Soup is mostly salty water and tastes great. If you are trying to drink water with electrolytes and the taste bothers you, a squeeze of lemon will fix it, or one of my kids uses a splash of cranberry juice instead.
Salt water is usually very salty. Plus salt is a flavor enhancer and people don't want their plain water to have flavor.
In the right environment, though, salty water is fine. Gatorade's 3rd or 4th ingredient is table salt.
I'm talking about adding a small amount of salt to tap water. Not ocean salt water.
Evolutionary, I'd expect it's because drinking saltwater is generally counter productive.
If you are on a raft without water, you will die faster id you drink the salty sea water than if you don't.
Drinking lots of slightly salty water, will put stress on your kidneys, as fresh water is the remedy to compensate if you got too much salt.
That's the evolutionary perspective, but how the mechanics work for the body to detect it IDK. You can have watery sauce or soup that is salty but taste great, despite being mostly water. So I think there is a bit of what's expected involved. We generally don't expect water to be salt.
I actually like the taste of salt water.
Good thing I stay way from sea travel.
I like the first few sips. Afterwards it becomes meh.
Yeah, I think you'd soon hit a limit. It's not like chocolate.
The perception of saltiness in food and water can vary due to how it interacts with other flavors. Salty foods often have a balance of salt that enhances the overall taste experience. Conversely, salty water can taste unpleasant because the salt can overpower your water’s flavor by itself, making it less enjoyable. Unless you mean sea water though, that has a lot more stuff in it.
I'm completely sober but I let out a stoner "whoa, man.." when I read this. It's true...but why...
Not exactly water, but Ayran is delicious !
Glad to see Ayran love. It's amazing how much better salty water tastes when you add some yogurth!
