Does the Shape of the Drinking Receptacle Influence Taste/Flavour Perception? A Review

Abstract

Abstract:In this review, we summarize the latest evidence demonstrating that the shape and feel of the glassware (and other receptacles) that we drink from can influence our perception of the taste/flavour of the contents. Such results, traditionally obtained in the world of wine, have often been interpreted in terms of changes in physico-chemical properties (resulting from the retention, or release, of specific volatile aromatic molecules), or the differing ways in which the shape of the glassware funnels the flow of the liquid across the tongue. It is, however, not always clear that any such physico-chemical differences do, in fact, lead to perceptible differences. Others, meanwhile, have stressed the importance of cultural factors, and the perceived appropriateness, or congruency, of the receptacle to the drink, based on prior experience. Here, though, we argue that there is also a much more fundamental association at work between shape properties and taste/flavour. In particular, the suggestion is made that the shape properties of the drinking receptacle (e.g., whether it be more rounded or angular)-regardless of whether the receptacle is seen, felt, or both-can prime certain expectations in the mind of the drinker. And, based on the theory of crossmodal correspondence, this priming is thought to accentuate certain aspects of the tasting experience, likely as a result of a taster's attention being focused on the attributes that have been subtly primed.

Multisensory Human-Food Interaction

“…Barnett et al, 2017). Given recent work showing that the shape of glassware can influence the tasting experience as well (e.g., Spence et al, 2012;; see Spence and Van Doorn, 2017, for an overview), it is necessary to bear in mind that the color of a beer is never experienced in isolation, but is often affected by the glassware/material (e.g., plastic, glass) in which it is presented 11 . Concerning the limitations of the experiment reported here, we did not take into account the participants' initial beer preferences.…”

On the Difficulty of Marketing Food and Drink Products to Men and/or Women

“…Taken together, therefore, there is little evidence to suggest that explicitly targeting a new product launch at one or other sex/gender will be a successful strategy. There are simply too many reasons why such an approach will fail, this despite the clear evidence for the increasing popularity of personalization/customization in the marketplace for food and drink products/experiences (see Spence, 2017).…”

“…Indeed, given the literature on shape symbolism, feeling angularity (e.g., on the outer surface of a whisky glass) is likely to accentuate the harsh notes in the drink (see Deroy, Crisinel, & Spence, 2013, for a review). Furthermore, the latest research shows that drinking from a receptacle with a rounded outer texture can make a drink taste sweeter (Van Rompay, Finger, Saakes, & Fenko, 2017; though see also Machiels, 2018; and see Spence & Van Doorn, 2017, for a review), and giving a drink a sweeter-taste often helps initial acceptance of something that people initially find hard to palate. 7…”

“…That said, when it comes to the world of food and drink, unisex offerings are the norm, and seemingly always have been. This lost opportunity to customize food and drink offerings might seem anachronistic, given the growing interest in food personalization/customization (see Dan, 2015;Spence, 2017;York, 2011).…”

Effect of Different Glass Shapes and Size on the Time Course of Dissolved Oxygen in Wines during Simulated Tasting

“…From a practical point of view, these findings suggest that the mixing and oxygenation may be optimized with an appropriate choice of shaking diameter (d) and rotation speed (rpm). In this view, the glass shape parameters ( Figure S1) can play a key role as they may influence the perceived volume of wine [8], and the perception of wine odors [9][10][11], and color [12][13][14], and therefore the consumer's preference [15,16] as well. Moreover, with time, the glass shape affects the change of headspace chemical composition of wine poured inside, and the D ratio (i.e., maximum diameter divided by opening diameter) seems to be the most important parameter relating glass shape to headspace composition [17].…”