Why is salt and pepper used in almost every dish ?

[Lawnmooer]

I don't actually put salt on anything, I'm not a big fan of salt and don't feel it necessary to put it in anything.

Pepper on the other hand... I love putting some Black Pepper in stews and Cayenne Pepper in soups, it gives an otherwise bland bowl of liquid a nice kick to it.

I also like to put Vinegar on chips and such aswell...

But yeah, not 100% sure on why you always get Salt, Pepper and Vinegar on your tables in cafe's and such.

 

[RoBi3.0]

Human beings require sodium for or bodies to function properly. Until recent history sodium wasn't very common meaning out side of the ocean salt is really hard to get a hold of for prehistoric humans. Prehistoric humans having much in common with modern man didn't really like doing more then he absolutely had to to get by. Therefore making sure he got enough sodium in his diet to function properly wasn't on his radar and quite frankly beyond his comprehension anyways.

Mother Nature being a fickle ***** and one not to give up easily had humans evolve to carve the salt they needed by making it taste fucking delicious to them. Therefore prehistoric humans got off their collective asses and started searching out sodium rich foods, that is until they discovered the glories of harvesting salt from the environment. Then shit got messy. While humans need sodium to live they do not require a whole bunch to function properly and to much sodium cause problems.

While Mother Nature is a fickle ***** she is slow to react and humans still love the taste of salt even though we have evolved to the point where we can get the stuff pretty fucking easily, and because we are stubborn asses we eat the stuff in massive amounts even though we know to much is a bad thing.

Pepper on the other had is just awesome and tastes good with salt and is spice that is easily stored and simply to use, and it is cheap.

Edit: Also salt is a great preservative. It is used in a lot of pre-made food to keep the nasties out.

 

[Yopaz]

It's because the molecules that gives food taste aren't readily available without using a stabilizer or an emulsifier. While salt is neither it does increase the conductivity of nerve cells and sensory cells which makes the feedback for taste transferred more readily.

Seriously, most of what I said above is bullshit. I don't know the chemical or physiological reason behind it, though most aromas are fat soluble which is why we use stabilizers and emulsifier. Salt brings out the taste, just like sugar. Ever tried making jam and not adding sugar? It tastes very little. When you add sugar though you lower the pH and for some reason stuff with a slightly negative pH tastes good. I think it may be connected with evolution in order to make us eat sweet things for a sudden boost of energy and salty things in order to maintain osmotic pressure.

 

[Ickorus]

They're both in abundance and they also just happen to be very effective seasonings.

 

[LetalisK]

I never use salt beyond what is used for cooking besides when I eat apples. Yum. And now for a contradictory statement: I also think we use waaaaay too much fucking salt in our society. When I eat a hamburger and I can taste the salt over the cheese, there is a problem.

As for pepper, I don't use it much either unless it's on cottage cheese. Then I load up.