Food and the five senses

The Flavour journal has just published a review article on how our senses can affect our impressions of food. We know that look, smell and taste are very important but this article highlights studies that have examined touch and hearing as well:


A touch of gastronomy
Charles Spence, Caroline Hobkinson, Alberto Gallace and Betina Piqueras Fiszman

Flavour 2013, 2:14 doi:10.1186/2044-7248-2-14 (open access)

They describe studies where the weight of glasses and bowls affect the participants attitudes towards the food; where the touch of a waitress will affect the amount of a tip; where the type of serving dish will enhance the experience; and where the environment of the restaurant also plays a part.

Fascinating reading - not everything is chemistry related but actually since all our senses are really causing chemical triggers in the brain, everything is chemistry!!