Pairing Chocolate With Music

Can listening to music actually affect the taste of chocolate? Turns out, yes it can. Research in synaesthesia, a neuroscientific field focusing on how one sense affects another, shows that sound and taste are intrinsically linked. Even when nothing about a food changes, our perception of particular flavours in that food can alter depending on our mind’s response to the accompanying music.

This phenomenon is called sonic seasoning. When you have a complex food item like chocolate that has a lot of flavour dimensions like sweetness and bitterness, it can be difficult for your brain to latch on to specific notes and make sense of everything. Listening to different pitches of sounds or music works to highlight certain features of the chocolate, affecting your perception of its overall taste.

Cadbury commissioned a report to investigate how music affects taste of chocolate. Here’s what they found:

– High pitched sounds complement crunchy texture
– Low musical notes go well with nutty flavours
– Mellow sounds accentuate soft spongy textures
– Steady rhythm enhances smooth texture
– Fast upbeat music complements surprising textures that pop and crackle

Sign up for our chocolate appreciation class to try this interesting multi-sensory experience of tasting chocolate while listening to different pieces of music.