cf

charles’ fuguea multisensory experience in five rounds

Synesthesia, a rare condition that causes one sense to be

activated by the stimulation of a different sense, has been

observed in cases linking color with sound, color with

letters, or numbers with spacial perception, among others.

This marvel is viewed as a neurological phenomenon, but

it is factual that everyone possesses synesthesia to a

small degree.

Truthfully, all five senses overlap in the human mind, their

links impacting the perceived enjoyability and experience

of dining specifically. Different smells, sounds, and sights

present while eating can cause a meal to seem wonderful

or disappointing, and can even coax the other senses into

interpreting food in a particular way.

It is intriguing to think of these findings as synesthetic or

“magical,” but it is important to note that in reality they

are the result of the brain recalling past associations

between taste and the other senses. Involuntarily, the

brain stimulates one sense if it is reminded of an experience

involving another sense. Ice cream trucks play high-pitched

songs, subconsciously causing one to perceive food as

sweeter when listening to high-pitched music. Red wine is

often bitter in flavor, causing one to subconsciously taste

all red-colored wines as somewhat bitter, even if the red

results from dye.

Charles’ Fugue is a multisensory dining experience aiming

to explore the interplay of the five senses and their rolls in

comprehension of taste. It aims to evoke appreciation

for the tremendous impact of sensory stimulants on the

perception of flavor and the pleasure of food.

who is Charles?

Professor Charles Spence is an Oxford University psycho-

logist and the head of the school’s Crossmodal Research

Laboratory. He has published over 500 articles on sensory

modalities and provides leading research on the subject.

Currently, he also acts as a consultant for several multi-

national companies for multisensory design and marketing.

“our brains constantly combine information from different sensory modalities in order to make sense of our environment.”

—Professor Charles Spence

Bach

round 1

an experience in touch

texture

butternut squash soup

butternut squash

green apple

yellow onion

carrot

cinnamon

served with a textured spoon

When eating something crunchy, we expect it to result

from stiff, rough food. When eating something chewy, we

presume smooth, easily malleable food.

Consuming smooth soup with a rough spoon confuses the

brain; soup is a smooth liquid while a textured spoon alludes

to rigidity. This manipulates the brain to perceive the meal

as less enjoyable. When eating something smooth, we

expect the same texture from the surrounding environment.

round 2

an experience in scent

intermixture

roasted carrots

carrot

olive oil

pepper

served with chocolate aroma

When you are ill with a stuffy nose, you may notice that

your sense of taste decreases. This is largely in part due

to the fact that smell is one of the greatest contributors to

taste. We smell through two pathways, the nostrils and

the esophagus. The combination of smelling and tasting

gives food its true flavor and leads us to describe non-

edible items with flavored words. The scent of a rose is

described as sweet although it is never eaten.

When a strong aroma—such as chocolate—is introduced to

a typically nonassociated flavor—such as carrot—the brain

processes this combination as incorrect. The carrot taste

is less enjoyable because the brain knows that chocolate

is not an ingredient in the dish.

round 3

an experience in taste

rich

mushroom morsels

shitake mushroom

garlic clove

sesame

parmesan

cilantro

served with a blindfold

If you have ever wondered why airplane food tastes so

bland, it is more than likely the result of unpleasant loud

noise that decreases taste perception. Umami, however, the

newly accepted fifth taste, is immune to changes in pitch

and loudness. Umami is the taste of savory flavors, present

in many mushroom, parmesan, and tomato-based foods—

which alludes to the reason many people on airplanes order

drinks they rarely desire, such as Bloody Marys.

Umami-based dishes are often very flavorful and are

perceived as incredibly rich due to their sense-resistant

flavoring. By wearing a blindfold and concentrating entirely

on taste, one can fully savor the ingredient.

round 4

an experience in sight

dissenting

Swiss and pepper quiche

egg

green onion

green pepper

Swiss cheese

cayenne

served colored black

One of the brain’s most powerful associative elements is

color. In cases of beverages, clear colored drinks are per-

ceived as more pure and clean due to association with clean

water, while brown and dark colors are perceived as dirty

due to association with contaminated water. Adding red

to a clear liquid will increase its perceived sweetness due

to association with red berries.

While most advocate to not judge a book by its cover, the

brain cannot help but assume a completely coal-colored

meal will taste dirty, no matter how fresh it actually tastes

and smells. Had this dish been served in its correct colors,

your mouth would have been watering.

round 5

an experience in sound

volume

cheese cake

milk

lemon

served with a crunching soundtrack

Environmental sounds inadvertently impact the enjoyment

of a dish. If a sound seems to match the mood of the food,

the brain perceives the meal as more pleasurable, and vice

versa. Therefore, when rough crunching noises are heard

while eating something smooth, they interfere with the

capacity to recognize the smoothness.

As the volume is increased on the crunching track, the

cheesecake is perceived as less soft and smooth. If turned

back down, there is less interference with its light texture.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Little” Fugue in G Minor is a

sinister, mysterious piece that leaves one feeling as if some-

thing unknown might be creeping around a corner. This

meal is comprised of offbeat, sometimes slightly unpleasant

experiences that provoke the brain to realize the significant

crossover of the senses and the importance of a pleasant

environment while dining.

www.charlesfugue.com