Beyond the Salt Shaker: How I Learned to Compose Flavor and Master Low-Sodium Vegan Cooking

Part I: The Salt-Shaker Prison: My Struggle with “Healthy” Eating

Introduction: The Doctor’s Orders and the Bland Prophecy

For years, I thought I had it all figured O.T. As a committed vegan, my kitchen was a sanctuary of health.

I read labels, chose whole foods, and believed I was on the optimal path.

Then came the routine check-up that changed everything.

The diagnosis was hypertension—high blood pressure.¹

My doctor’s directive was immediate and stark: drastically reduce my sodium intake to less than 1,500 milligrams a day, a common recommendation for adults with high blood pressure.²

In that sterile office, my world of vibrant, flavorful food seemed to collapse.

The words “low sodium” echoed in my mind, conjuring images of steamed, unseasoned vegetables and joyless meals.

It felt like a culinary death sentence, a forced march into a bland, tasteless future.

This was my central conflict: how could I follow this life-saving medical advice without sacrificing the fundamental pleasure of eating?

My first forays into this new world were deeply frustrating.

I dutifully scoured the “healthy” vegan aisles, only to find a hidden trap.

The processed vegan staples I occasionally relied on—plant-based burgers, canned beans, pre-made sauces, even some whole-grain breads—were often packed with sodium, added for flavor and preservation.²

A single serving of a popular meat substitute could contain a third of my new daily limit.

It became clear that “plant-based” did not automatically mean “low-sodium”.³

I was caught in a paradox, where the very foods marketed for health were undermining my efforts.

The Vegan’s Sodium Tightrope: A Perilous Balancing Act

The stakes, as my doctor explained, were incredibly high.

High sodium intake is a well-established risk factor for not just hypertension, but also heart disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).⁵

Medical frameworks like the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet are built around this principle, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while strictly limiting sodium.⁷

My personal struggle was underscored by a mountain of clinical evidence.

But as I dug deeper, the path grew more complicated.

I discovered a crucial counterpoint that filled me with anxiety: the danger of consuming too little sodium.

The condition, known as hyponatremia, occurs when blood sodium levels drop dangerously low, causing symptoms ranging from fatigue, headaches, and muscle cramps to mental fog and, in severe cases, seizures or coma.⁹

For older adults or athletes who lose sodium through sweat, this is a significant risk.¹⁰

This discovery transformed my challenge from a simple matter of restriction into a perilous balancing act.

The problem was then compounded by a critical, vegan-specific pitfall: iodine.

For most of the population, iodized salt is a primary source of this essential nutrient.

Since a vegan diet already excludes other major iodine sources like fish and dairy, eliminating iodized salt can create a significant risk of iodine deficiency, a leading cause of thyroid dysfunction worldwide.¹²

I felt trapped.

The very real need to protect my heart and kidneys by cutting salt was now pitted against the equally real risks of hyponatremia and iodine deficiency.

This wasn’t just about my food tasting bland anymore; it was about a profound psychological burden.

Every meal became a source of stress, a navigation through a minefield of contradictory advice.

I was afraid of my food, paralyzed by the fear that any choice I made could be the wrong one.

Part II: The Epiphany: Flavor Isn’t a Volume Knob, It’s a Symphony

My Culinary Rock Bottom

My frustration culminated one evening with a bowl of lentil soup.

I had followed all the standard “salt-free” advice, loading it with vegetables and herbs.

I simmered it for hours, hoping flavor would magically emerge.

The result was a culinary disaster.

It was thin, muted, and profoundly disappointing—it tasted like hot, brown water.

That soup was more than a failed meal; it was the embodiment of my defeat.

I felt joyless and ready to abandon the entire effort, convinced that delicious, healthy, low-sodium vegan food was an impossible dream.¹³

The Accidental Lesson in Music: Discovering the Composer’s Mindset

The turning point came from an unexpected place.

While watching a documentary about a symphony orchestra, I was struck by how a composer builds a rich, emotional experience from dozens of individual instruments.

It triggered a profound realization about my own culinary failures.¹⁵

I saw that my entire approach was based on a flawed analogy.

I had been treating salt as the “volume knob” for flavor.¹⁷

When the doctor told me to turn the volume down, all I could hear was silence.

My attempts to replace it with spices or salt-free blends were like trying to find a different volume knob, but none of them could amplify a performance that wasn’t happening in the first place.

This was my epiphany: Salt isn’t the music; it’s just an amplifier. My mistake was trying to amplify an empty stage.

A great dish, like a great piece of music, isn’t about sheer volume; it’s about composition.

It has a deep, resonant bassline (the rhythm section), rich, complex chords (the harmony), a bright, soaring melody, and delicate, aromatic flourishes.¹⁸

The solution wasn’t to find a new amplifier, but to learn how to

compose the music of flavor from the ground up.

This new paradigm shifted my entire mindset from one of restriction to one of creation.

What I later learned is that this musical analogy is not just a poetic metaphor; it is a surprisingly accurate model for the underlying chemistry of taste perception.

Salt, chemically known as sodium chloride (NaCl), does more than just register as “salty” on the tongue.

Its most powerful function is its ability to suppress our perception of bitterness.²¹

In musical terms, bitterness is a form of dissonance—a clashing, often unpleasant sound.

At the same time, salt enhances our perception of sweetness and umami (savory), which are the harmonious, pleasing chords of the culinary world.²¹

Salt, therefore, acts as a chemical “sound engineer.” It doesn’t just turn up the overall volume; it selectively adjusts the levels, turning down the dissonant frequencies of bitterness so the harmonious ones can be heard more clearly.

This explained why my “hot, brown water” soup failed.

Many vegetables have subtle bitter notes.

Without salt to act as the sound engineer, those dissonant notes muddied the entire composition.

Simply adding more herbs (more notes) just created a louder, more chaotic noise.

The problem wasn’t a lack of notes; it was the lack of a composer to manage the dissonance and build harmony from the ground up.

Part III: The Composer’s Framework: A New System for Flavor

Armed with this new understanding, I developed a framework for building flavor based on the principles of musical composition.

Instead of focusing on what I had to remove, I focused on what I could add, assigning every ingredient and technique a role in my kitchen orchestra.

The Rhythm Section (The Foundational Bass Notes): Building Depth and Mouthfeel

This is the deep, resonant foundation of a dish—the cello and double bass.

It provides richness, body, and that satisfying feeling of “craveability” that combats the thin, hollow sensation of many low-sodium meals.¹⁸

• Key Instruments (Ingredients & Techniques):

• Umami: This is the core of the bassline. I learned to build a powerful savory foundation using umami-rich vegan ingredients like dried shiitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and nutritional yeast.²²
• Healthy Fats: Fats are crucial flavor carriers that create a pleasing, full mouthfeel. Avocado, raw nuts (especially walnuts), seeds, and good quality olive oil add a “coating” richness that provides a satisfying counterpoint to other elements.²⁵
• Low-Sodium Fermentation: A small amount of low-sodium tamari or miso paste can add a complex, fermented depth that mimics the long-simmered flavor of traditional stocks and broths.²²

The Harmony (The Rich Mid-Range Chords): Building Complexity

This is the chordal structure of the piece—the violas, horns, and piano.

It adds layers of complexity and character, transforming a simple bassline into a full-bodied composition.¹⁸

• Key Instruments (Ingredients & Techniques):

• The Maillard Reaction & Caramelization: This chemical reaction, which occurs when browning food, is the primary tool for creating complex “brown notes.” By searing, roasting, or toasting vegetables, you develop deep, savory flavors that are anything but one-dimensional.²⁸
• Aromatic Foundations: The classic technique of slowly cooking aromatics like onions, garlic, ginger, celery, and carrots in fat (a soffritto or mirepoix) is fundamental for a reason. It creates a fragrant, complex harmonic base for almost any savory dish.²⁴
• Toasted Spices: I stopped just dumping ground spices into a dish. By toasting whole spices like cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a dry pan until fragrant, you release their volatile oils, creating much deeper, nuttier, and more complex harmonic notes.³⁰

The Melody (The Bright, Leading Line): Creating the Hook

This is the memorable, soaring tune of the dish—the lead violin or the singer’s voice.

It provides brightness, cuts through richness, and makes the entire composition “pop.” This is the most direct antidote to blandness.¹⁸

• Key Instruments (Ingredients & Techniques):

• Acidity: This is the composer’s most important melodic tool. A splash of lemon or lime juice, or a drizzle of balsamic, apple cider, or red wine vinegar, adds a sharp, bright note that balances the richness of the Rhythm Section and Harmony.²⁵
• Pungency & Heat: Ingredients like freshly ground black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, fresh ginger, and mustard add a different kind of sharpness and excitement, a percussive hit that wakes up the palate.²⁵
• Zest: The brightly colored outer peel of citrus fruits contains intense aromatic oils. Using zest adds a powerful burst of brightness without adding the liquid volume of juice, keeping flavors concentrated.²⁵

The Flourishes (The Aromatic High Notes): The Finishing Touch

These are the delicate, final touches—the piccolo trill or the light touch of a cymbal.

They are added at the very end to provide a burst of fresh, volatile aroma that engages the sense of smell, which is responsible for the vast majority of what we perceive as flavor.¹⁸

• Key Instruments (Ingredients & Techniques):

• Fresh Herbs: Delicate herbs like cilantro, basil, parsley, and dill lose their bright character when cooked. Adding them off the heat just before serving preserves their fresh, vibrant aromas and adds a final layer of complexity.²⁵
• Finishing Oils: A final drizzle of a high-quality, flavorful oil like extra virgin olive oil or toasted sesame oil can add a last-minute layer of aromatic richness.³¹
• Smoked Paprika & Other Finishing Spices: Spices with powerful aromatic profiles, like smoked paprika, can be used as a final garnish to engage the nose before the first bite.³¹

To make this system concrete, I created a simple guide to map these musical ideas to culinary actions.

Table 1: The Flavor Symphony Framework

Musical Element	Culinary Purpose (The “Why”)	Key Instruments (The “How”)
Rhythm Section (Bass Notes)	Creates a deep, savory foundation, richness, and satisfying mouthfeel. Combats the “hollowness” of bland food.	Umami: Mushrooms, tomato paste, nutritional yeast. Fats: Avocado, nuts, quality oils. Techniques: Building a rich broth.
Harmony (Mid-Range Chords)	Builds layers of complex, “browned” flavors and character. Turns a simple base into a full-bodied dish.	Aromatics: Garlic, onion, ginger, celery. Spices: Toasted whole spices (cumin, coriander). Techniques: Maillard reaction (searing, roasting), caramelization.
Melody (Bright, Leading Line)	Adds a bright, sharp “hook” that cuts through richness and makes flavors “pop.” The direct antidote to blandness.	Acids: Lemon/lime juice, various vinegars. Pungency: Black pepper, chili, mustard, horseradish. Aromatics: Citrus zest.
Flourishes (Aromatic High Notes)	Provides a final burst of fresh, volatile aroma that engages the sense of smell and adds excitement.	Fresh Herbs: Cilantro, basil, dill (added off-heat). Finishing Oils: High-quality olive oil, truffle oil. Spices: Smoked paprika.

Part IV: The Repertoire: Recipes from the Composer’s Kitchen

Putting the framework into practice is where the music truly comes to life.

These recipes are not just instructions; they are compositions designed to prove that low-sodium vegan food can be deeply satisfying and exciting.

Recipe 1: “Symphonic” Black Bean Burgers

This recipe tackles a notorious vegan failure: the mushy, flavorless bean burger that falls apart.³³

This version is firm, savory, and complex.

• Ingredients: 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and patted very dry; 1/2 cup cooked quinoa; 1/2 cup raw walnuts; 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground; 1/2 cup whole-grain breadcrumbs.
• Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool, then pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground.
3. In the same skillet, sauté the onion and mushrooms until all moisture has evaporated and they begin to brown, about 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
4. In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a fork, leaving some texture. Add the cooked quinoa, ground walnuts, mushroom mixture, tomato paste, tamari, paprika, and cumin. Mix well. Gently fold in the breadcrumbs until the mixture holds together.
5. Form into 4 patties. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until firm and browned.

• Composer’s Notes: The Rhythm Section is built with the umami of mushrooms and the richness of toasted walnuts. The Harmony comes from the deep, browned flavor of the sautéed mushroom-onion base (the Maillard reaction) and the toasted cumin. The tomato paste and tamari add more bass notes and complexity. The result is a burger with a deep, savory composition, not just a pile of beans.

Recipe 2: “Crescendo” Roasted Red Pepper and Lentil Soup

This is my answer to the “hot, brown water” soup that marked my culinary low point.

It is rich, smoky, and vibrant.

• Ingredients: 2 large red bell peppers; 1 large onion, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed; 6 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar; Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish.
• Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler. Halve the peppers and remove seeds. Place skin-side up on a baking sheet with the unpeeled garlic cloves. Broil until the pepper skins are blackened, about 5-7 minutes. Place peppers in a bowl and cover to steam.
2. Once cool, peel the peppers and the roasted garlic.
3. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent.
4. Add the roasted peppers, roasted garlic, lentils, vegetable broth, smoked paprika, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until lentils are tender.
5. Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving some texture.
6. Stir in the sherry vinegar off the heat. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

• Composer’s Notes: The Harmony is the star here, created by broiling the peppers and garlic to develop a sweet, smoky foundation. The lentils and broth form the Rhythm Section. The Melody is a “crescendo” created by the deep, smoky paprika and the final, bright hit of sherry vinegar. The fresh parsley provides a final aromatic Flourish.

Recipe 3: “Vivace” Tofu & Broccoli with a Ginger-Lime “Glissando”

This recipe delivers the excitement of a great stir-fry without relying on high-sodium soy sauce.²²

Vivace is a musical term for a lively, brisk tempo.

• Ingredients: 1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into cubes; 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets; 1 tablespoon avocado oil; For the sauce: 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 inch fresh ginger (grated), 1 clove garlic (minced), 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. For garnish: Fresh cilantro, sesame seeds.
• Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss tofu cubes with 1/2 tablespoon of oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and firm.
2. Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. In a large skillet or wok, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add broccoli and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender.
4. Add the baked tofu to the skillet. Pour the sauce over everything and toss to coat for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro and sesame seeds.

• Composer’s Notes: This dish is all about a lively Melody. The sauce is a “glissando” (a rapid slide up the scales) of bright lime juice (acid), pungent ginger and garlic, and a kick of chili. Baking the tofu creates a firm texture and Harmonic browned notes. The final Flourish of fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds makes the dish vibrant and aromatic.

Part V: Conducting Your Own Kitchen Orchestra: A Practical Guide

The goal of this framework is to empower you to become the composer in your own kitchen.

This starts with stocking your pantry with the right “instruments.”

Stocking the Composer’s Pantry

This list is not just a shopping list; it’s a guide to building your orchestra, organized by the role each ingredient plays in your compositions.

Table 2: The Low-Sodium Vegan Composer’s Pantry

Flavor Function (Musical Part)	Essential “Instruments” (Ingredients)
Acidity (Melody)	Lemons, Limes, Balsamic Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Rice Vinegar (unseasoned)
Umami (Rhythm Section)	Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, Tomato Paste, Nutritional Yeast, Low-Sodium Miso Paste, Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Pungency (Melody)	Whole Black Peppercorns, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Fresh Ginger, Garlic, Onions, Mustard Powder/Seeds
Aromatic Spices (Harmony/Flourish)	Smoked Paprika, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Turmeric, Curry Powder, Cinnamon Sticks, Whole Nutmeg
Fresh Herbs (Flourish)	Cilantro, Flat-Leaf Parsley, Basil, Dill, Rosemary, Thyme, Chives
Fats & Richness (Rhythm Section)	Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Raw Nuts (Walnuts, Cashews), Seeds (Sesame, Sunflower), Avocado

Avoiding Dissonance: Common Mistakes for the New Composer

As you begin composing, be mindful of common errors that can create dissonance in your final piece.

• Using Pre-Recorded Backing Tracks: Relying heavily on processed vegan foods is like using a generic backing track. It’s easy, but it lacks soul and is often poorly mixed, with too much sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats.⁴ True composition comes from working with whole ingredients.
• Ignoring an Instrument’s Potential: Treating tofu as bland is like handing a musician a violin and telling them not to play it. Tofu is a neutral instrument, a blank canvas waiting for you to compose a flavor profile onto it with marinades, spices, and cooking techniques.³³
• Playing with Half an Orchestra: Severely under-eating calories, a common mistake when switching to a plant-based diet, is like trying to perform a symphony with only the string section. The result will feel weak and unsatisfying. Ensure your compositions are robust, with enough calories from whole foods to be filling and energizing.¹³

Conclusion: From Restriction to Composition

My journey began in a doctor’s office, facing what felt like a culinary prison.

The fear of blandness was compounded by the anxiety of navigating a complex web of health risks.

The turning point was realizing I had the wrong metaphor.

I wasn’t a dieter following restrictive rules; I was a composer who needed to learn a new language of flavor.

By trading the salt shaker for a composer’s baton, I discovered a world of creativity and joy I never knew existed.

This framework—of rhythm, harmony, melody, and flourish—freed me from the prison of restriction.

It gave me a system to build deep, complex, and exciting flavors from the ground up.

My food is now more delicious and varied than ever before, and my health has followed suit.

The goal is no longer to avoid a single ingredient, but to embrace a full orchestra of them, creating your own delicious, healthy, and joyful culinary masterpieces.

Works cited

1. Low Sodium Diet and Lifestyle Changes for High Blood Pressure | Johns Hopkins Medicine, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/low-sodium-diet-and-lifestyle-changes-for-high-blood-pressure
2. Why Sodium is Still Important on a Vegan Diet – Forager Project, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://foragerproject.com/blogs/blog/why-sodium-is-still-important-on-a-vegan-diet
3. Is Your Plant-Based Diet Low in Sodium? – Microsalt, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://microsaltinc.com/is-your-plant-based-diet-reduced-in-sodium/
4. 7 Mistakes You Could Be Making While Eating Vegan – Allrecipes, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.allrecipes.com/article/new-vegan-mistakes/
5. Vegan? Low Sodium? High Fiber? – My HealtheVet, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/ss20200806-popular-diets
6. Low Sodium Diet: Benefits, Risks, Foods to Eat and Avoid – Healthline, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/low-sodium-diet
7. DASH diet: Sample menus – Mayo Clinic, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20047110
8. The DASH diet: Health benefits and what you can eat – Medical News Today, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/254836
9. Why Vegans Need To Eat Salt, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.veganproteins.com/why-vegans-need-to-eat-salt/
10. 5 Little-Known Dangers of Restricting Sodium Too Much – Healthline, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-dangers-of-sodium-restriction
11. Hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood) – National Kidney Foundation, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/hyponatremia-low-sodium-level-blood
12. Modern challenges of iodine nutrition: vegan and vegetarian diets – Frontiers, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1537208/epub
13. The 3 Biggest Mistakes When Starting Plant-Based (And How to Fix Them!) – YouTube, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VI7-8fXuFw
14. 12 Common Mistakes Plant-Based Beginners Make and How to Fix Them, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.plantbasedcooking.com/12-common-mistakes-plant-based-beginners-make-and-how-to-fix-them/
15. Perfect harmony: The undeniable connection between food and music – FRANK. Magazine, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://frankthemagazine.com/perfect-harmony-the-undeniable-connection-between-food-and-music/
16. Music theory as analogous to cooking : r/musictheory – Reddit, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/comments/11xwv8r/music_theory_as_analogous_to_cooking/
17. The Harmony Between Taste and Flavor – FSR magazine, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/harmony-between-taste-and-flavor/
18. Composing Savory Food Symphonies – Kalsec, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.kalsec.com/natural-flavor-ingredients/insights/savory-food-symphonies
19. Season to Taste – The Culinary Pro, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.theculinarypro.com/season-to-taste
20. How to create Layers of Flavor, from the Lowest Dungeon to the Highest Peak : r/Cooking, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/comments/ejybvj/how_to_create_layers_of_flavor_from_the_lowest/
21. Cooking: I’ve often heard that salt “brings out the flavor” of a dish …, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mu1iod/cooking_ive_often_heard_that_salt_brings_out_the/
22. 7 Simple Plant-based Salty Substitutes – Alternative Chef Kitchen, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://alternativechefkitchen.com/7-simple-plant-based-salty-substitutes/
23. 10 Ways to Flavor Your Meals Without Salt – YouTube, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKD286Hn8lY
24. Enhancing Flavor without Salt – Number Analytics, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/enhancing-flavor-without-salt-comprehensive-guide
25. ‘Tis the Unseason: Flavor Without Salt – The Chopping Block, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.thechoppingblock.com/blog/tis-the-unseason-flavor-without-salt
26. Article – Flavor Theory – Food Inspiration magazine international edition 26 – Deliciousness, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.foodinspirationmagazine.com/int26-deliciousness/flavor-theory
27. So basically “harmony” in music can be explained like, importance of salt in food – Reddit, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/comments/m7vyzz/so_basically_harmony_in_music_can_be_explained/
28. How to Build Flavors Blogpost – Spices Inc, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://spicesinc.com/blogs/how-build-flavors
29. Learning to Cook: Building Flavor | FUSSYlittleBLOG, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://fussylittleblog.com/2011/03/03/learning-to-cook-building-flavor/
30. Building Flavor Without the Salt – Bon Appétit Management Company, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.bamco.com/blog/building-flavor-without-the-salt/
31. 18 Flavorful Salt Alternatives – Healthline, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/salt-alternatives
32. How to Build Flavors in Cooking – Home Cooking Collective, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://homecookingcollective.com/a-guide-to-developing-flavor/
33. The 13 Biggest Mistakes To Avoid When Cooking Vegan – Tasting Table, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.tastingtable.com/1744884/biggest-mistakes-cooking-vegan/
34. The chef method to add flavour to your food without salt – YouTube, accessed on August 14, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KbvRP-K9Yo