Photo Credit - istockphoto/sveta_zarzamora
One thing is for sure, the food and beverage industry is driven by flavor- We are driven by flavor. On a daily basis restaurants and bars across the U.S. try and guess what flavors their consumers will embrace, and what will be top sellers in their establishments. We on a daily basis contemplate what sounds good to eat and drink and what makes us cringe with just the mere utterance of a certain flavor. I think everyone can agree that food and beverage is social and therefore must be positive. If we take 2 minutes to think about a certain spirit we don’t drink anymore because of a “bad night” in college or a food we don’t eat anymore because of a bad experience, we might start scratching our heads and saying to ourselves… is there a psychology behind understanding flavor and how we approach it in our daily decisions? I will make the first confession of 2 things I know I can’t stand: Peppermint because of a very bad night in college with schnapps and chili because of a stomach bug when I was in 3rd grade- 3rd grade and it still haunts me!
Flavor is hard to define because it is personal, therefore making it different for everyone. It starts when we are just infants and constantly changes through the years. Our memories, emotions, past good or bad experiences influence our every interaction with flavor. How about what a drink looks like? Have you ever taken a look at a drink walking across a bar and it looks absolutely delicious? You instantly ask what that drink is, assume it is good, and order it. We eat and drink with our eyes and color plays the lead actor in that role. Color tells us what we are about to taste. Give it a try and have a friend blindfold you and taste without sight. Would you know what carrot juice tastes like if you could not see the color OR do you see the color of carrot juice and automatically know what it is?
Aromas play a big role as well. How about that coffee shop or bakery? When you take in the fresh smell it is almost as if you are tasting it! Try holding your nose and tasting something- pretty bland, right? I watch people do this one all the time. The minute you receive a cocktail, glass of wine, or even a plate of food- what do you do? You smell it- right? If it does not smell fresh or good we automatically assume it will taste bad. Raise your hand if you hate sushi or cottage cheese just because you hate the way it feels in your mouth. Even better, that overly sweet drink that just coats your mouth. Have you ever taken a look at a drink that is a deep red or blue in color and just assume it is sweet because it just looks sweet but you have not even tasted it?
These are all deep thoughts by a cocktail creator, and things I think about constantly while creating recipes. The next time you order a drink and choose a certain flavor (or why you chose against another flavor), ask yourself why.
