In fact, this isn't the first study to determine that taste bud deception can impact flavor perception. These same researchers have also shown that spicy foods taste hotter when the item is more red in color. Plus, testers in a recent Dutch study rated drinks as sweeter when they drank them from pink cups, instead of transparent ones.
So what gives? People may unconsciously transfer their intuition that pink food and beverages are sweet to their judgment of the drinks in question, note the study authors. The findings suggest that you can enhance the sweetness of not-so-sugary (but healthy!) foods with the right cup, bowl, or plate: Drink unsweetened hot chocolate from an orange mug, serve fajitas on a red plate, and so on. And keep the findings in mind when you're at the store—food manufacturers use research in this vein to package their products.
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