Keep Flavors Simple for Depleted Diners

The reputation of monosodium glutamate has been unfairly tarnished, according to a feature article in The Washington Post. MSG is not an allergen, and only an estimated 1% to 2% of diners are at all bothered by MSG. Although it’s a manufactured food additive, the human body processes the glutamate in exactly the same way as naturally occurring glutamates, such as in tomatoes, and the small amount of sodium in a dash of MSG is little threat to health.
     Yet to attract customers, many restaurants, especially those serving Chinese food, find it necessary to post a “No MSG” notice because of the widespread belief MSG causes various physical and mental ills. What is less acknowledged is how a pinch of MSG accentuates less noticeable flavors, adding to the adventure on the palate from an almost universally wide range of foods.
     Which, as it turns out, might be a legitimate reason not use MSG or otherwise enhance flavor complexity in a specific limited range of circumstances—when diners are psychologically depleted. For then, simplify the mix of distinct flavor dimensions.
     Researchers at City University of New York, St. John’s University, University of Oxford, and University of California start their case by noting the prevalence of foods which offer intricate flavor layering. This is true with epicurean specialties and even with snack foods like salt-and-vinegar potato chips and chocolate mint candies. Complexity has been found to maintain interest in the consumption experience by delaying satiation.
     But complexity also can lead to a subsequent preference for simplicity. The researchers asked study participants to solve either a relatively easy or relatively difficult set of puzzles, followed by tasting and then evaluating the taste of either a relatively simple-flavored or relatively complex-flavored food. The results were that those completing the more complex puzzles reported less enjoyment of the more complex flavors, and that this was attributable to a reduced ability to identify the different flavors. Satiation occurred more quickly.
     Food fragrances hasten satiation, so keep those simple, too. When smells hit our brain, processing begins in the limbic system, which is among the most primitive brain structures. We make decisions instantly based on smells. Use appealing fragrances which are already familiar to diners. If a smell hasn’t been encountered before, with associations stored in the brain, it will be complicated for the shopper to decode, so the advantages of instant, subconscious influence are lost.

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