Science

It Turns Out That the Sound of Food Has a Major Effect on Flavor

Crunch, crunch.
Crunch, crunch. Photo: Shutterstock

Bacon is great for a number of reasons, but its crispiness may have a lot more to do with its appeal. A new study explains that sound has a lot to do with taste: Fizzy soda, delicate foods like bread or bananas, and, yes, crispy bacon, help us determine how delicious food is — the crunchier an apple, the fresher it’s perceived to be.

This “forgotten flavor sense” affects restaurants, too: The study also points out that external sounds can have big effect on taste, and, funnily enough, Haagen-Dazs has already developed an app that allows you to listen to a concerto at the rate your ice cream softens. It’s only a matter of time before gags like silent dining are replaced with a personalized playlist for your pasta.

[Time]

It Turns Out That the Sound of Food Has a Major Effect on Flavor