Gastrophysics by Charles Spence

Author:Charles Spence
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-05-25T09:42:46+00:00

Supersonic seasoning

Late in 2014, British Airways introduced “Sound Bites” for their long-haul passengers. Once they had chosen their in-flight meal, passengers could tune in to one of the channels in the seatback entertainment system. There they would find a carefully chosen playlist of popular tunes that had been specially selected to complement the taste of the food. The musical selections were based, in part, on research findings from my lab. A number of the tracks were chosen to boost the perceived authenticity/ethnicity of the dishes, given research showing that this attribute can be enhanced by presenting matching music (or, for that matter, any other sensory cues) appropriate to the region associated by people with the food (see “The Atmospheric Meal”). Think lasagne, or pasta, while listening to one of Verdi’s arias (and if you can find a red and white checked tablecloth, even better), or perhaps Scottish salmon with The Proclaimers?

Some of the first empirical evidence supporting the existence of sonic seasoning came from research conducted with The Fat Duck Research Kitchen in Bray. Together with the then head research chefs, Steffan Kosser and Jockie Petrie, we were able to demonstrate that listening to soundscapes containing lots of tinkling, high-pitched notes accentuated the sweetness of a bittersweet cinder toffee, whereas listening to low-pitched noises brought out the bitterness instead. The effects, it should be said, weren’t huge (5–10%), but they were large enough to potentially make a difference to the tasting experience while up in the air. So why don’t you forget about adding sugar the next time you are eating at altitude, and instead just tune in to some sweet, calorie-free music? That said, while we have now got some pretty effective sweet tunes, we are still struggling to create the perfect sonic salty backdrop.

Now, I am assuming that you have taken my advice and got yourself a pair of noise-canceling headphones, and that you are listening to the right sort of music to complement, and thus improve, the flavor of whatever you happen to be eating or drinking. So, what next? What else can be done to improve the meal experience while passengers are up in the air? Well, if the food really is worth savoring, one simple tip here would be to pause the movie. For according to the ground-based research covered in the “Social Dining” chapter, you ought to find that you enjoy your food a little more while, at the same time, finding yourself satisfied with less of it.

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