Eating with all five senses (=五感gokan in Japanese) is something natural in Japanese culture. In order to create one meal, quite a few different small plates and bowls are used. The food, crockeries, placemats, cups and flowers on the table are effortlessly but aesthetically chosen to please the eyes. This is based on a belief that all five senses (sight, smell, sound, feel, taste) make the food more palatable and enjoyable. There is one more benefit; if the food is more enjoyable then one is less likely to overeat.
Smell of food
From an evolutionary point of view, our ability to smell scents enabled us to track food, water, and find a mate. This is why our sense of smell is closely linked with memory. Smells are powerful memory evokers. This is due to the fact that our olfactory bulb is directly connected to the hippocampus and amygdala, the neural centers of memory and emotion. Remembering what smells are associated with negative experiences assures we don’t make the same mistake of eating expired food twice. On the contrary, a pleasant smell of food enhances appetite and taste. Although taste and smell are separate senses with their unique receptors, they are tightly related. That is why food tastes different when our sense of smell is impaired. This is because the sensation of flavor is actually a combination of both smell and taste. As we chew our food, we force air through our nasal passage and carry the smell of the food along with it.
For this reason, the positive smell of food enhances the experience of eating.
‘Eating with ears’ – sound of chewing
Professor Charles Spence from Oxford University has been examining the importance of senses to food behaviors and taste. Crunchy, crusty, crispy…. These sounds remind you of a certain taste and gives you pleasure. In another study Prof Spence explored and suggested that non-food factors such as tableware, cutlery and environment also affect our senses when eating. They can both enhance and impede the eating experience.
Feel and taste
We are sensitive to various textures of food, taste sensation on the tongue, and the temperature of food. The texture of plates, bowls and cups give a different feel. Some people like drinking tea from a mug while others prefer a cup and a saucer. In the case of Japanese tea more delicate porcelain teacup is suitable for green tea. Lastly, don’t forget the joy of different tastes; sweet, bitter, sour, salty and umami flavor. A combination of different foods creates a subtle but rich flavor in food.
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Excerpt from the book New Energized You.
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