The Perfect Meal Book Summary

In 'The Perfect Meal', Charles Spence and Betina Piqueras-Fiszman take readers on a sensory journey, exploring how our senses shape our dining experiences. They delve into the psychology behind taste, unveiling intriguing connections between food, flavor, and our emotional responses. Through captivating experiments and engaging anecdotes, the authors reveal how the environment, presentation, and even sounds can transform a meal from ordinary to extraordinary. This book challenges you to reconsider not just what you eat, but how you eat it, igniting curiosity about the hidden factors that influence our perceptions of food. Prepare to rediscover the art of dining and elevate your meals to a new level of enjoyment.

By Charles Spence, Betina Piqueras-Fiszman

Published: 2014

"A meal is not just about the food on the plate, but the sensory experience it evokes—flavors, aromas, and emotions woven together to create a perfect moment in time."

Book Review of The Perfect Meal

The authors of The Perfect Meal examine all of the elements that contribute to the diners experience of a meal (primarily at a restaurant) and investigate how each of the diners senses contributes to their overall multisensory experience. The principal focus of the book is not on flavor perception, but on all of the non-food and beverage factors that have been shown to influence the diners overall experience. Examples are: the colour of the plate (visual) the shape of the glass (visual/tactile) the names used to describe the dishes (cognitive) the background music playing inside the restaurant (aural) Novel approaches to understanding the diners experience in the restaurant setting are explored from the perspectives of decision neuroscience, marketing, design, and psychology. 2015 Popular Science Prose Award Winner.

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A meal is not just about the food on the plate, but the sensory experience it evokes—flavors, aromas, and emotions woven together to create a perfect moment in time.

The Perfect Meal

By Charles Spence, Betina Piqueras-Fiszman