A great number of our brain functions are dedicated to processing vision, while only a percent or two is given over to taste faculties, and the result is that color actually changes how we taste food.
Smoking damages the nerve endings which decreases your ability to smell and taste properly, and after only 48 hours, your senses will get sharper as nerve endings begin to heal.
It took a while, four months to grow the peppers in space, and while they were enjoyed by astronauts who can lose some of their ability to taste and smell in zero gravity.
While it's helpful to try and measure out how much you're getting per day, it's usually easier to just follow your built in salt intake regulator - Your sense of taste.