It all comes down to salt versus acid I remember my grandmother doing some of this stuff when I was a kid. But, I never paid much attention to it. Today? SO, to debrief: Brining = preserving and/or flavoring with salt Marinating = preserving and/or flavoring with acid Pickling = preserving with salt (fermented pickles) or preserving with acid (unfermented pickles) Curing = all of the above More @ What’s the Difference Between Pickling, Brining, Marinating, and Curing?
Hmm.... brining isn't really about flavor. It is about significantly increasing the moisture content for cooking. Take a thick pork chop, no brining. Take one that has been brined, cook exactly the same and what you will absolutely notice is the one without will be dry and the one you did will be juicy.