Salt in cooking is not primarily for flavor — it's for texture and preservation.
In bread: salt strengthens gluten structure, slows fermentation (controlling yeast), and suppresses off-flavors. Remove the salt and the dough becomes slack and over-ferments quickly.
In meat: salt draws out moisture initially, then the meat reabsorbs the brine it created. Dry-brined meat has better surface dryness (good for browning) and seasons more evenly.
In fermentation: 2–3% salt by weight of vegetables creates conditions where Lactobacillus thrives and competing bacteria can't. The salt isn't in the final product as "saltiness" — it's the scaffold that lets fermentation happen safely.