1.because they want it to heat up faster
2.to add flavor
salt
It is better to add salt at the end of cooking because if you add it in the beginning, the taste of the salt will appear to go away.
That depends what you are cooking and whether or not you are trying to reduce your salt intake. Adding salt to the cooking water will increase the boiling temperature just a tiny bit and it will add to the flavor of the food. It will distribute the flavor benefits of the salt more evenly than sprinkling the salt on food after it is cooked.
If you add too much salt to the water what ever you cook in that water will also be salty. Pasta cooked in over salted water will result in salty pasta. The same applies to any startch cooked in over salted water. You want to add just enough salt to add a little flavour to the item you are cooking.
Too much salt in a dish can make it hard to eat it. There are ways to neutralize the salt. You can add a little sugar or add potatoes to it.
To properly add salt to boiling water, simply sprinkle the salt directly into the water before it starts boiling. Stir the water to help the salt dissolve evenly. Adding salt at the beginning of the cooking process allows it to infuse into the food, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish.
When I cook rice I add the salt after the water with the rice has come to a boil. I have heard that addition of salt when boiling foods slows some of the minerals down from leaving the food...
when the water is boiling it will help it from sticking this is what i do and at the end when your donr cooking it because it taste good with salt and pepper. but if you dont want it to stick then the first thing
It's good to add a pinch of salt and a few drops of olive oil into the water when cooking pasta. The olive oil is especially useful, because it makes sure that the pasta doesn't stick together when boiling it, so you don't ruin it when you take it out.
Depending on how much salt you add to the water and how warm the water is... the salt will disolve
To add salt to the water for cooking pasta, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add a generous amount of salt—about 1 to 2 tablespoons for every 4-6 quarts of water. This will enhance the flavor of the pasta as it cooks. Stir the water briefly to help the salt dissolve before adding the pasta.
To prevent pasta from sticking after cooking, make sure to stir it frequently while cooking, use plenty of water, and add a little oil or salt to the water. After draining the pasta, rinse it with cold water to remove excess starch.