Monday, November 16, 2015

Palette vs. Palate by Allison Caruso

In class, we discovered that color has a vast impact on our perception of taste. In fact, the way our food looks in any capacity determines our willingness to eat it. That is why so much money is put into the presentation of food in advertising and five-star restaurants. In fact, "in his book Fast Food Nation, journalist Eric Schlosser mentions a study conducted in the 1970s that found the color of food had a great effect on people’s appetites. Test subjects were placed in a room with special colored lighting installed, and then given a plate of steak and French fries to eat. In that setting, the food appeared to be a normal color, but when it was revealed that the steak was blue-colored and the fries were green, some participants became ill." I believe participants became ill because we have an instinctual aversion to certain colors of food such as green, blue, and purple. We tend to associate these colors with mold or spoiled food. Thus, it is evident we have preconceived notions about how our food will taste based on color. I find this connection between sight and taste fascinating. 




Reference 
http://itotd.com/articles/629/the-influence-of-color-on-taste-perception/

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