Potassium carbonate is a white, water-soluble salt with a long history in food and industry, known traditionally as potash. In food, its main roles are as an acidity regulator and raising agent: it is essential to the characteristic texture and dark colour of certain Asian alkaline noodles and gives Dutch-processed cocoa its mellow flavour and deep colour by neutralising natural acidity. It also appears in gingerbread and some traditional baked goods. Beyond food, it serves in glass, soap, and fertiliser manufacture. The compound is strongly alkaline, so food-grade material must be handled with the respect due to caustic substances, though at the low levels used in foods it is considered safe. Its use in noodles and cocoa shows how a single inorganic salt can define the identity of beloved foods.