People prefer different flavors in their meals, which is the basis of sweet and salty foods. So what is the basic difference between sweet and salty? Sweet food is dominated by the taste of sugar or honey as in desserts, while salty food is the opposite, full of flavour, often at times spicy and associated with necessity rather than comfort food.
However, they complement each other at dinner for the benefit of the palate. Pork as a savory dish is often served with sweet applesauce; Similarly, cranberry with turkey at Christmas. Salads and cheese boards have salty cheeses, some with fruit inside and are usually accompanied by fresh and sweet fruits such as apples or strawberries; cheesecake as a popular dessert is a good example of a savory product such as cheese used successfully together with a fruit topping such as mandarins, black currants or strawberries. Even the accompanying wine is chosen with those tastes in mind, with dessert wines designed for sweet desserts and other wines subtly chosen to complement savory meats and fish. Modern chefs often combine sweet and savory foods to produce complex and complementary flavors.
Sweet and salty foods can be considered as two separate categories in practice and sometimes actually depends on your appetite and need for food. Earlier I mentioned meat as a typical salty food; vegetables, in general, are also classified as salty and are included as a complementary part of dinner. Snacks, particularly those designed as part of a dietary requirement, are usually tasty and keep you from eating too many sweet foods, which are often high in calories and fat.
Sweets, on the other hand, are produced exclusively with sugar as the main component. This can come from the natural sugar in the fruit or be introduced as part of the recipe. Most people have a strange affinity for sweet things, symptoms almost like a drug. It probably comes from when they were children when the lucky ones had pocket money for chocolates and sweets. Both have a tendency to appear in various dessert forms reminding us of those good old days. As with salty foods, sweet flavors can be combined. For example, chocolate and orange have been famously and successfully combined by a certain chocolate maker.
Nuts are a typical bridge between sweet and salty. They can be covered in salt, chocolate or toast or as a topping for sweet cookies. As a savory, they are often added to brown rice, chopped to give it a nutty texture and flavor to accompany a mild chicken curry or salad.
The sweet and savory flavors used in Chinese dishes go together on the same plate. Pork and chicken is one of the most popular combinations of sweet and sour along with a sweet sauce. Ham and pineapple is another favorite, although some diners prefer ham and egg; another good example of sweet and savory or just salty food combinations. This is most obviously seen when considering the many ingredients you can have when ordering or making your own pizzas. Asian dishes often have sweet sauces with raisins and sultanas, but often soften the flavor with garlic and onion. Raw carrot, sometimes mixed as a drink, is traditionally sweet to taste, yet cooked as part of a dinner it becomes more flavorful.
Sometimes it is difficult to make a distinction between sweet and salty and it depends on the taste and the point of view of each one. The key is usually experimentation with frequent tastings during the creative phase. Both work equally well together and separately, allowing cooks to produce a wide range of foods that provide maximum flavor and appeal.