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The color of the cookware changes the perception of the taste of the product
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Do you often notice the color of the dishes you eat from? If not, maybe you should pay attention to this and get a new set of plates? In this case, it is simply a necessity, because scientists have found out which dishes make dishes more aromatic and delicious!
Scientists from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Oxford claim that taste perception depends largely on the color of the dishes from which we eat or drink.
As it turns out, hot chocolate tastes better if you drink it from an orange or cream-colored cup, but in a white or red cup the taste will not be as pronounced.
This research confirms the results of an earlier study, during which experts found that our senses perceive food differently depending on the color of the dishes from which we eat and drink.
"The colour of the dishes in which food and drinks are served can influence the perception of taste and aroma," said Dr Betina Picvares-Fitzman, co-author of the study.
A team of scientists conducted an experiment involving 57 volunteers who were asked to evaluate the taste of hot chocolate. The drink was served in plastic cups of the same size, but in four color options. The inside of all the cups was white, and the outside was white, cream, red and orange.
The results, published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, show that participants liked the drink from orange and cream-colored cups the most, despite the hot chocolate being served from the same container. However, tasters were less impressed with the chocolate from the white and red cups, who said the cream and orange cups had “more flavor” and “more intense aromas.”
Commenting on the results, the scientists say that there are no specific “color rules” for dishes that could enhance the taste and aroma of a drink or dish; in fact, it depends on the food, but the truth is that color does have a certain effect.
Experts say the study has important implications for scientists studying how the brain integrates visual information received not only from food, but also from the dishes it is served in.
In addition, this information may be of interest not only to scientists, but also to food producers and catering workers. By choosing the right color of tableware or by packaging the product profitably, they can significantly increase their income, because the buyer, one way or another, pays attention to products packed in attractive and "tasty" wrappers.
The results of previous studies also support the current findings, according to which the aroma and taste of lemon are enhanced by yellow containers, and drinks of cool colors provoke even greater thirst than drinks with warmer colors. The researchers also found that most people who drank from pink cups automatically "sweeten" the drink. They thought that the drink in the pink container was sweeter than in cups of other colors.