system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Eli5] Why does sea salt taste saltier than regular table salt while having less sodium per taste?
gpt
If you're eating the salt directly, or eating food that has *just* had salt sprinkled on it, then the shape of the crystals is going to make a difference. Sea salt crystals are typically flat and wide, a shape which dissolves quickly on the tongue providing a sharp spike of salty flavor. Regular table salt, on the other hand, is usually more cube-shaped. This helps it flow much better, but dissolves slowly and therefore won't taste as salty. If you're tasting salt that's already been dissolved (such as by being put onto the food before/while cooking), it'll taste the same. The typical advice is to use kosher salt for salting meat before cooking (it sticks better, again because of the shape), regular table salt while cooking (cheapest), and save the gourmet salt for the table.