Multisensory perception: How sight, sound and touch shape what we taste, with Charles Spence, PhD
Why does a potato chip taste better when you hear it crunch? According to Dr. Charles Spence, a leading expert in multisensory perception, the answer lies in the hidden power of sound, color, texture, and environment to shape our experience of food—often without us even realizing it. His groundbreaking research shows that enhancing the crunch of a chip by 15% through audio manipulation can make it taste fresher and more enjoyable, proving that 'sonic seasoning' is a real flavor ingredient. But the most astonishing revelation comes from a dish at the world’s best restaurant: a rice pudding served with sub-audible vibrations, nostalgic sounds, and a ritualistic wafer-breaking moment that triggers tears in two-thirds of diners. This emotional response isn’t about taste—it’s about a full sensory journey that makes people feel deeply connected to the moment. Spence argues that our brains don’t just process taste in isolation; they integrate sight, sound, touch, and even memory into a unified experience. From Instagrammable Dubai chocolate to AI-generated food images that manipulate desire, he reveals how modern food trends are driven not by flavor alone, but by sensory storytelling. And he’s now exploring the radical idea of 'culinary counterpoint'—using music that contradicts the dish, much like in Tarantino films—to create new kinds of multisensory art that only make sense when all senses collide. The implications go far beyond the dining table.
Enhancing the crunch sound of a potato chip by 15% increases perceived freshness and liking, proving sound is a real flavor ingredient.
Two-thirds of diners cried at a rice pudding dish due to a combination of sub-audible vibrations, nostalgic sounds, and emotional timing—proving food can trigger deep emotional responses.
Eating in front of TV or mobile devices increases consumption by up to 30% because distraction blocks sensory feedback that signals fullness.
Dubai chocolate’s viral success comes not from taste but from its Instagrammable green-and-brown color, proving visual distinctiveness drives food trends.
AI can generate compelling food visuals but can’t taste or smell—real chefs must sense-check AI ideas to ensure they work in practice.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Hidden Senses Behind Taste
The episode begins by challenging the idea that taste is only about sugar, salt, and fat. Instead, Dr. Spence explains how sight, sound, touch, and environment all contribute to flavor perception, setting the stage for a deep dive into multisensory psychology.
Cross-Modal vs. Multi-Sensory: The Science of Interaction
Spence distinguishes between cross-modal effects (like sound making lights seem brighter) and multi-sensory integration (like flavor being a blend of taste, smell, and texture), emphasizing how these interactions shape perception.
Sonic Seasoning: How Sound Makes Food Taste Better
“We were able to show that we can enhance the crunchiness, the crispness and the freshness and hence the liking of those potato chips by about 15% simply by enhancing the sound of the crunch.”
The Emotional Power of Food: When Rice Pudding Makes People Cry
“When we turn those bodily vibrations off the ultra-low frequency vibrations, then the rate of crying drops significantly, suggesting that's kind of a part.”
The Real Reason We Love Crunch: A Mystery of Evolution
Spence explores why we crave crunchy foods despite their lack of nutritional value, suggesting the sound of crunch signals freshness, fat content, or energy density—linking sound to survival instincts.
“So could you have a culinary counterpoint? I don't think anyone has tried that yet, having music that deliberately goes against something in the dish.”
“And the real concern for me is that maybe they will be generated to be ultimately appealing to our brain because, you know, the AI will realize that if it's the image of the food should be from a first person perspective.”
“And we're able to show that we can enhance the crunchiness, the crispness and the freshness and hence the liking of those potato chips by about 15 simply by enhancing the sound of the crunch.”
Host
Guest
Dr. Charles Spence
person
AI
other
Pringles
product
Dubai chocolate
product
University of Oxford
organization
Speaking of Psychology
media
Heston Blumenthal
person
Cross-Modal Research Laboratory
organization
Federico
person
American Psychological Association
organization
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