When it comes to food, we might all entertain the notion that we have it all figured out, but with the amount of new information and myth-busting news that comes up every now and then, its clear that we all have a lot to learn.
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We are all still discovering seemingly basic things about cooking, such as whether to wash raw chicken before cooking it, or how rice could give you food poisoning, or even stuff such as why pineapples leave a tingling sensation in our mouths.
But now, besides cooking, it seems we have a lot to learn about eating as well, and everything we have been taught about the proper way to eat might actually be wrong. As per a report by The Telegraph, an Oxford expert has shared the actual way we should be eating our foods.
The right way to eat food
As per The Telegraph, Prof Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist at Oxford holds the belief that its time for people to retire the age-old notion that chewing our food with our mouths open is rude and impolite, and basically something unfit for polite society.
According to the expert, people should in fact embrace open-mouthed chewing. Eating with our mouths open helps us taste, smell, and perceive the food better, allowing for a superior eating experience. The expert is quoted by the report explaining,
We've been doing it all wrong
Parents instil manners in their children, extolling the virtues of politely chewing with our mouths closed.
However, chewing open mouthed may actually help to release more of the volatile organic compounds, contributing to our sense of smell and the overall perception.
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⋙ A chefs reveals the meals you should never order at a restaurant
Noisy eating shouldn't be a taboo too
Another dining faux pas, eating noisily, too should be retired as per the psychologist. The amplified sounds of food actually adds to the sensory experience of eating. He continues saying,
When it comes to sound, we like noisy foods – think crunchy, crispy. Both crisps and apples are rated as more pleasurable when the sound of the crunch is amplified.
To best hear the crunch of an apple, a potato crisp, a carrot stick, a cracker, crispbread or a handful of popcorn, we should always ditch our manners and chew with our mouths open.
Further, to really enjoy our food fully, we should be eating with our hands as per the expert since,
Our sense of touch is also vital in our perception of food on the palate.
Fine dining might already be shifting slowly towards curating dining with a focus on a deeper sensory connection with food. It remains to be seen if common people are ready to introduce any of these ground-breaking changes in the way they dine in their everyday lives.
Read more:
⋙ Millions of Brits use this bizarre place to store crisps
Sources used:
The Telegraph: 'Why you should ditch table manners and eat with your mouth open'
