Ongoing History Daily: Music changes the way food tastes

There’s more to augmenting the taste of food than a little salt and pepper. Music has a way of influencing how we perceive what we eat. Several brand-new studies show that we can make our food taste better (or at least different) by pairing it with the right music.

A test by Jack Daniels showed that using a combination of piano, cello, and violin, brings out more of the caramel, oak, and spice notes found in whisky. Finnair, the airline, understands that cabin noise affects how food tastes, so they created high-frequency soundscapes for the passengers that enhances specific flavours while diminishing others.

Restaurants are starting to figure out that loud music distracts from the taste of the food. And low-pitched music brings out bitter and salty flavours while high-pitched sounds accentuate sweet and sour tastes.

The next time you’re out for a meal, pay attention to the music being played and what kinds of tastes pop out.