# Tasting salt in solution

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-salt-in-solution/393807
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 26, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-salt-in-solution/393807 "2007-02-26T22:55:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-salt-in-solution/393807/1 "2007-02-26T22:55:25Z")

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What are we tasting when we taste salt in solution, such as in water? From what I understand, when sodium chloride is added to the water, the polar water molecules separate the sodium and chlorine ions from each other. Does this mean that when we taste a solution of salt, we are tasting individual sodium and chlorine molecules? We can’t be tasting the salt as if it were “together” since it’s no longer together. Any input?

Thanks.

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### Author: ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-salt-in-solution/393807/2 "2007-02-26T23:18:35Z")

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You’re actually tasting the sodium ions.

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### Author: ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-salt-in-solution/393807/3 "2007-02-27T17:47:55Z")

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[QUOTE=Shawn1767]  
What are we tasting when we taste salt in solution, such as in water? From what I understand, when sodium chloride is added to the water, the polar water molecules separate the sodium and chlorine ions from each other. Does this mean that when we taste a solution of salt, we are tasting individual sodium and chlorine molecules? We can’t be tasting the salt as if it were “together” since it’s no longer together. Any input?

Thanks.  
[/QUOTE]

Salt in solution is in fact the only think you _can_ taste. Taste buds are chemical sensors that depend on molecules arriving dissolved in saliva.