Food Rituals Make Eating More Enjoyable

Is there a food you eat a certain way every time? Maybe you unwrap it a certain way or mix it a special way. These are called food rituals. A recent study done by the University of Minnesota showed that performing rituals may actually cause people to enjoy their food more. Rituals can change the taste and perception of our food. Experimenters instructed two groups on how to eat a chocolate bar. The first group was told to break the chocolate bar in half before unwrapping it. Then they were instructed to unwrap one half and eat it and then unwrap the other half and eat it. The second group was told to relax and then eat their chocolate. The group with strict instructions were willing to pay more for chocolate, enjoyed it more, and savored it as compared to the other group. Based on this experiment maybe food rituals aren’t such a bad thing.