These recent findings may sound strange, but please read along. Researchers have concluded that a person’s perception of how hot chocolate tastes can be affected by the color of the cup it is contained in. Scientists over at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Oxford University discovered that an orange or cream-colored cup “definitely” makes chocolate taste better, while a red or white cup will not enhance the drink’s flavor.

The research, which was published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, involved 57 participants who had to taste the same type of hot chocolate in cups of different colors. Only the four colors stated were included in the experiment and all cups have white interior. Some participants in the study even commented that the chocolate in the cream cups was more aromatic and tasted sweeter.

The study is further proof how the color of food itself and its containers may affect our perception of taste. However, there are no set rules on what color would affect the taste quality of food, but it would depend on the food itself.

Betina Piqueras-Fiszman, one of the authors of the study, recommended that food companies should “pay more attention to the container because it has a lot more potential than what you imagine.”

To confirm their findings, the same team conducted similar experiments and they yield the same effects. In their studies, strawberry mousse placed on a white plate tastes more intense and sweet compared to a black one. Soda and lemon-based drinks in blue cans are more refreshing and lemony, while these same drinks taste sweeter in a pink container. Coffee tastes stronger and more aromatic in brown cups, while red makes coffee seem weak, and yellow or blue makes the drink taste smoother.

Source: El Mundo (in Spanish)