Food

RASPBERRY GALAXY & WOODY WHISKEY ATMOSPHERES

Center of the Milky Way. Courtesy of NASA.

Courtesy of NASA. Center of the Milky Way.

What does atmosphere taste like? Check out these mind-blowing discoveries.

RASPBERRY UNIVERSE

We live in a raspberry universe. At least that’s what our Milky Way Galaxy tastes and smells like according to recent findings. No, I’m not tripping. It’s science.

If I had to pick just one fruit to be the center of my universe, it would be a raspberry. The little rosy jewels that burst and release their perfect tart/sweet nectar when my tongue presses them against my palate, and the soft round floral scent that beckons me back for another go -- well, nothing tops it for me.

So when I learned that our Milky Way galaxy has a raspberry center, it made perfect sense!

Astronomers from the Max Plank Institute used the IRAM radio telescope in Spain to study Sagittarius B2, a dust cloud near the center of the Milky Way.

They found ethyl formate, (C3H6O2), responsible for the predominant flavor in raspberries, swirling around in the heart of the cloud. I’m thinking giant raspberry Pavlova! Heaven!

This lovely chemical is also found, in relative abundance, in rum -- A rum-flavored Milky Way isn’t a bad idea either, of course.

While this discovery was originally announced in 2009 in the journal Astrophysics, more recent studies, published in The Astrophysical Journal, have confirmed these findings in similar dust clouds as well as in the Orion constellation.

(Unfortunately) Raspberry is not the only galactic note present. Researchers found nearly 4,000 others in Sagittarius B. I’m hoping rhubarb is the next flavor found. It’s my other big fruit passion.

GRASS, SOPRANO, & WOODY NOTES

Atmosphere can also influence the way something tastes. A little candlelight, a linen cloth, bone china and a violin sweetly softening the air, can make your tongue happier no matter what you’re eating or drinking.

A recent study published by Oxford University researchers, in the journal Flavour, showed that where you drink your whiskey has a lot to do with how you enjoy it.

They set up three rooms, each engineered to evoke a specific sense -- the smell of grass, the taste of sweetness, and the texture of wood. They had 441 volunteers carry one glass of whiskey with them as they visited each of the rooms, taking sips along the way.

The room, carpeted with astro-turf, and graced with fresh cut grass aromas and sheep sounds, triggered grassy notes. Whiskey tasted more "woody" in the room that was done up like a cedar forest. While the room bathed in red light with gentle tinkling sounds made the whiskey seem sweet. Most volunteers preferred the woody version.

SOUND TASTE

In fact, the atmosphere’s sound makes a significant difference in your dining pleasure. High-frequency sounds make food taste sweeter, for example.

Recent studies are showing how sound modulates taste. And some forward thinking restauranteurs and food producers are using sound to their advantage.

Ben & Jerry's, for example, is developing a sonic range of ice-cream flavors, with QR codes on the packages so you can fill your atmosphere with the perfect complementary sounds via your smartphone.

It turns out so many restaurants, with loud music or high octane din, have gotten it all wrong. A study published in 2011 found that loud background noise suppresses saltiness, sweetness, and the overall enjoyment of food.

Sound expert Julian Treasure, of The Sound Agency and judge in the BeautifuNow Most Beautiful Sound in the World Competition, helps restaurants and hotels to offer more optimal aural experiences. Check out his talk about the excellent aural atmosphere at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.

Read more about Beautiful Atmosphere, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including The Character of Atmosphere and Capturing Air & Atmosphere, Beautifully, Now!

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Atmosphere in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 06.29.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!