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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.

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.

who is Charles?

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

—Professor Charles Spence

Pachelbel

round 1

an experience in touch

alteration

buttermilk biscuit

buttermilk

flour

sugar

salt

served with textured mittens

When eating something light and soft, the brain expects all

surroundings to match the texture. If a food is accepted as

pleasant, surrounding oneself with equally pleasant stim-

ulants will heighten its enjoyability. If surrounded by less

appealing stimulants, delightful food will taste less desirable.

Inserting the hand into a mitten lined with cotten matches

the texture of the biscuit. The mitten lined with rough paper

contradicts the smoothness of the bread; the brain perceives

this as incorrect and finds the biscuit less gratifying.

round 2

an experience in scent

perception

goat cheese and crackers

goat cheese

flour biscuit

served with rosemary and roasted red pepper 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 largest 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—rosemary and red pepper—is in-

troduced to a typically low-flavored food—such as goat

cheese—the brain processes the scent as included in the

dish. The goat cheese and crackers are completely absent

of spices, but by whiffing the aroma we believe them to be

cooked in, a delicious combination.

round 3

an experience in taste

rich

vegetable meat loaf

bell pepper

cremini mushroom

red onion

walnut

basil

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

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

judgment

corn bread cupcakes

corn meal

potato

Cheddar cheese

chive

kale

served appearing sweet

One of the brain’s most powerful associative elements is

color. In the case of beverages, clear colored drinks are

perceived 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 decorative cupcake will

consist of sweet ingredients, a commonality for cupcakes.

When the cake ends up baked with savory foods, the brain

must take a moment to adjust to an unexpected twist.

round 5

an experience in sound

mood

berries and cream

blueberries

blackberries

raspberries

orange

sour cream

vanilla bean

served with sounds of birds in the forest

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 a soundtrack matches the origin and

environment of a dish, it tastes more pleasing.

When berries, known to all as found in nature and eaten

by wild animals, are consumed while listening to sounds

of birds and trees, one feels part of the scene and finds

the action of eating the berries quite a bit more charming

than with no sound at all.

Johann Pachelbel’s Fugue in C Major is a playful, dreamy

tune that implies a carefree dance. This meal presents

dishes with enhancements and pleasant surprises to alert

the brain of its presumptions and to display how sensory

stimulants can intensify flavor and strenghten enjoyment.

www.charlesfugue.com