noun
Refers to the presence of salt or a salty flavor in food or other substances.
このスープは塩気が強い。
This soup is very salty.
塩気の多い食事は健康に良くない。
A diet high in salt is not good for your health.
塩味 also means salty taste but is more commonly used in cooking contexts to describe the flavor profile, while 塩気 is a more general term for saltiness or salt content.
塩分 refers specifically to salt content or sodium, often used in nutritional or scientific contexts, whereas 塩気 is a sensory term for the taste of salt.
Compound of 塩 (shio, 'salt') and 気 (ke, 'sensation' or 'feeling'), literally 'salt sensation'.