The Perfect Meal: The Multisensory Science of Food and Dining

The authors of The Perfect Meal examine all of the elements that contribute to the diner s experience of a meal (primarily at a restaurant) and investigate how each of the diner s senses contributes to their overall multisensory experience. The principal focus of the book is not on flavor perception, but on all of the non-food and beverage factors that have been shown to influence the diner s overall experience.

Examples are:

• the colour of the plate (visual)
• the shape of the glass (visual/tactile)
• the names used to describe the dishes (cognitive)
• the background music playing inside the restaurant (aural)

Novel approaches to understanding the diner s experience in the restaurant setting are explored from the perspectives of decision neuroscience, marketing, design, and psychology.