The other night I had the opportunity to enjoy an “ice cream sampler”, admittedly NOT three flavors on the current Baskin Robbin’s line-up = Cranberry, Sour Cherry and salted Caramel. Eyes closed, the mouth feel, texture, sweetness balance and flavors were absolutely there!Eyes open… especially in the dim candlelight, all of the flavors appeared as “pale” renditions of vanilla ice cream (with the vanilla bean seeds strained out). Reconciliation took a moment to return focus to the sensitivity of my palate. Then again, I can’t imagine tasting wine without the visual cues?
You have probably heard the expression that we “eat with our eyes first”. But just how much does this color of impressions of how the food tastes? If you ordered pistachio or mint chip ice cream and they were not green, would you be disconcerted? If asked to compare two sour cherry sauces, side by side, would you unknowingly select the sauce to which the red food coloring was added?
Recent research has revealed that the color of orange juice,colors our taste perceptions. For more information please visit the chemical senses center. For some fun and inspiration food pictures= Studio Kitchen at Flicker.
Hope YOU are having a colorful weekend! Perhaps one that includes some delicious ice cream?
How very true! My siblings and I have been raised on the story of the time my mom & her friends made homemade strawberry ice cream and tinted it green on someone’s whim. No one would eat it! It was deliciously flavored, with real strawberries. But nobody could get over the fact that strawberry ice cream should not be green!