It looks good so it tastes good, right?

Olive oil and orange marinated steak Matthews Baloyi 2012/10/04

Olive oil and orange marinated steak Matthews Baloyi 2012/10/04

Published Jul 31, 2015

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London - After taking the time to cook a meal, making it look nice as well may seem too much effort. But spending just a few minutes on presentation can push even the simplest meal up the taste scale.

Slicing or arranging food carefully on the plate can persuade diners it is worth paying up to three times as much, according to an Oxford University expert.

Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology, said: “Plating up the dish in a slightly more intricate manner can positively affect the taste.”

He asked more than 130 people to taste a salad, and steak and chips presented in three ways. Despite the ingredients being exactly the same, the salad with thinly sliced cucumber was deemed tastiest.

Volunteers said they would pay three times as much for it as for one which had simply been dressed and put on the plate.

The steak was most appealing when in the centre of the plate, not the edge, and sliced rather than in a large piece.

Prof Spence said the reason is that we may simply think something which looks good also tastes good or appreciate the extra effort taken.

Michelin-starred chef Kevin Love, the face of Lidl, which commissioned the study, also advised serving odd numbers of items to make dishes more appealing.

Daily Mail

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