Salting in China is about the same process as in the West, but it plays a much greater part in China . There are three reasons for this. Since there is little refrigeration or canning in most parts, perishable foods have to be salted to keep. Secondly, salted food goes a longer way in 'sending down rice' than fresh food and is therefore very economical. Last and most, many things taste better salted than fresh. For example, mustard green is good when fresh, but it becomes wonderful when salted. Salting is sometimes used as a pre-cooking process, sometimes as a complete dish-forming process. Thus, Salted Celery Cabbage is probably the one best-liked cold dish for many people. A common variation is fresh-salting, which consists of salting fresh food for a day or two and cooking right after, for example, Chinkiang Fresh-Salted Meat
When salt is added during the cheesemaking process to draw out liquid, enhance flavors, and stave off pathogenic bacteria growth. Different types of cheese require salting at different stages of the production process.