Sony experiment changes the taste of food using sound

Sony recently conducted an experiment in which it changed a food’s taste by altering the frequency of sounds being played.

For the “Frequency Flavour” test, low and then high frequency sounds were played to showcase how the perceived taste of a single dish’s could change. Participants in the experiment tried a specially designed ‘Goat’s Cheesecake’ (Goat’s curd, lemon and salted crumb).

The flavour of the dish went from savoury to sweet as the music changed to a high frequency sound.

The ‘Frequency Flavour’ test was showcased at the Sony Multi-room ‘Sonic Wonderland’ in partnership with culinary designers Bompas & Parr. Sam Bompas of Bompas & Parr said, “We don’t just eat with our hands or mouths but with our senses. Changing the surroundings and music around us affects these resulting in a completely novel dining experience.”

It was already known that music can influence our mood, but now we have some idea that it can also influence our other senses too.

Sony recently launched its Multi-room audio technology, letting you connect compatible devices and listen to your music throughout your house. There are a number of wireless speakers (the SRS-X77, SRS-X88 and SRS-X99), AV Receivers (STR-DN860 and STR-DN1080), and Soundbars (HT-NT3 and HT-ST9) available.