Did you know that you have taste buds in your ears

The formula for a fantastic meal is more than just getting the food right.

When you’re “doing” fine dining, you expect not to “hear” the music in the background. You expect gentle melodies to be played on the sound system, the notes wafting heavenward assisting you in savouring the delicate flavours of the eat bite. Thundering beats automatically clash with good food.

The good food formula

Fancy restaurants strive to create the perfect experience by getting the decor, music and food just right. The idea of the whole package contributing to the experience is not new.

But the guy’s in lab coats from Manchester University have discovered a little bit of a twist to the good dining formula.

Eating to the beat

The volume of the music actually effects the taste of the food. The louder the background noise, the more bland the food tastes. Noisy environments make food taste less salty or sugary.

The biology behind the phenomenon is yet to be determined. It seems highly unlikely that ears have taste buds. A more plausible explanation could be a sensory overload of the brain circuits.

The perfect track?

So if you’re serving snacks at a loud party, add extra salt to keep your guests palates “happy”.

But consider turning down the stereo during dinner to bring out the flavours in the meal and reduce the need for additional salt.

In addition to being able to have a deep meaningful conversation with family and friends which increases your psychological well being, a grain or two less of salt will be helpful if you’re suffering from salt sensitive hypertension.