Page 58 - The European Baking Ingredients Market Report 2022 - Volume 1

58

participants who took part in the high level of self-control over what
study had to hold the pretzel at one they ate, tended to rate the cheese
end, while rating their experience of as being tastier and consumed
the other half. The feel of the pretzel more, in several of her studies, if
in the hand was shown to exert a they had held it in their hands first.
significant influence over people’s Who knows whether these are the
in-mouth eating experience of same people who seem to derive
freshness and crispness. 11 so much pleasure from licking
the cake mix bowl out with their
More recently, Adriana Madzharov fingers? Looking to the future, it
13
conducted a series of four studies is perhaps worth noting that even
in the United States, showing that just touching food pictures when
consumers tend to rate food as ordering online has been shown
tastier and more desirable when to lead to an increased choice of
they touch it with their hands. indulgent food options. 14
Intriguingly, the effect of fondling
a cube of Muenster cheese was In one study, a trained sensory panel
particularly noticeable amongst in Arkansas and a group of regular
those who apply self-control in consumers in Brazil, either ate pizza
their food consumption (i.e., high with their hands or else with knife
self-control consumers). and fork instead. Ratings were
12
almost identical in the two cases,
In her first study, Madzharov except for an increase in aroma
had 45 volunteers look at the ratings for those using cutlery. In this
cheese before eating it. Half of case, the difference was put down
the participants held the cheese to the knife releasing volatiles from
on a cocktail stick, while the other tomato slices when the consumers
half held it between their fingers cut through the pizza.
15
instead. Those individuals who
reported that they normally had a Ultimately, whether or not food

References
1. Marinetti, F. T. (1932/2014). The Futurist cookbook (Trans. S. Brill, 1989). London, UK: Penguin Books.
2. “The polite way to eat with your fingers, by Debrett’s” (2012). The Daily Mail, November 23rd, 9; Furness, H. (2012) How to eat with one’s
fingers: The Debrett’s guide to very modern etiquette.
3. Quoted in Cloake, F. (2022). There is a simple, sensual pleasure in eating with your hands. The New Statesman, June 24-30th, 55.
4. Johnston, H. (2022). Have YOU tried a caviar 'bump'? Discerning diners now lick the delicacy off their hands before downing a vodka
shot like a 'posh tequila slammer'. Daily Mail Online June 13th.
5. Mugaritz ak (2016). Eating with your hands: The custom is a cultural issue. September 22nd.
6. https://kitchen-theory.com/the-chefs-table/
7. Davies, G. (2016). KFC launch 'finger condoms' so customers don't get their hands dirty while tucking in. Daily Mail Online, December 16th.
8. https://natfluence.com/interview/jmehta/.
9. Spence, C. (2017). Gastrophysics: The new science of eating. London, UK: Viking Penguin.
10. LaTour, K. A., & Carbone, L. P. (2014). Sticktion: Assessing memory for the customer experience. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 55, 342-353.
11. Barnett-Cowan, M. (2010). An illusion you can sink your teeth into: Haptic cues modulate the perceived freshness and crispness of
pretzels. Perception, 39, 1684-1686.
12. Madzharov, A. V. (2019). Self-control and touch: When does direct versus indirect touch increase hedonic evaluations and consumption
of food. Journal of Retailing, .
13. Johnson, E. (2018). I love eating with my hands. Epicurious, May 14
14. Shen, H., Zhang, M. & Krishna, A. (2016). Computer interfaces and the “direct-touch” effect: Can iPads increase the choice of hedonic
food? Journal of Marketing Research, 53(5), 745-758.
15. Seo, H.-S. (2016). Cross-cultural influences of eating behaviour and meal pattern on chemosensory perception of food. Presentation
given at the 17th International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste; JASTS 50th Annual Meeting, 5–9 June, Yokohama, Japan.
16. Bear in mind here that until not so long agom the Neopolitans would famously eat their spaghetti by hand: See Winke, R. (2019).
Mangiamaccheroni: A surprising Neapolitan street-food tradition. Italy Magazine, March 19th.
17. Chandra, G. (2018). A guide to eating with your hands around the world. Condé Nast Traveler, March 5th.
18. Martel, Y. (2001, p. 7). Life of Pi. New York, NY: Harcourt Trade Publishers.

www.ebimr.com