A complex array of factors contribute to the way we perceive food. Sensory inputs such as smell appearance and taste all affect the eating experience. Another factor that is also relevant—but often overlooked—is the temperature of the food. Cold dishes require more seasoning all because of the way our palate functions.
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Why does hot food taste better than cold food?
Temperature has a surprisingly strong effect on the way we perceive taste. Researchers at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium have shown that our tongues are much better able to perceive taste as food heats up. The effect is quite intense: when you go from lukewarm to hot the sensitivity increases by hundreds of times. And once you reach an extra hot point the effect diminishes. That’s why it’s a mistake to eat your food piping hot.
It’s no surprise then that adding strong flavors to cold dishes is a technique that’s well-established among chefs. For example when Julia Child described her favorite chilled soup she recommended using too much salt to get a strong flavor. Follow that recommendation to make sure your flavors don’t get dulled.
The relationship between taste buds and the brain is complicated and still being studied. Foods can contain the exact same ingredients but the eater’s perception of them can be completely different when served at different temperatures. Why is this? There are a few hypotheses. Some scientists think that our predisposition to hot food is a result of evolution. Once something is cooked it is easier to digest and nutrients such as protein become more available. There is also less chewing involved. So early humans who ate hot food may have had a survival advantage and passed on their genes for liking hot food. Research also shows that hot food suppresses appetite for longer.
