"Do you always fold a New York slice in all its oily glory? Is a whole lobster best relished in this order: legs, claw then succulent tail? Do you eat Oreos middle first? Or dunked in milk?
Far from being mere quirks of personality, rituals like these may actually enhance how much people savor what they eat or drink, new research shows. Flavor is intensified. The meal is enjoyed more. It may be one reason why birthday cake is savored more than the stumbled-upon 4 p.m. brownie, because of the singing and candle blowing that precedes it.
The researchers found that even simple rituals, which they defined as 'a series of behaviors that are seemingly irrelevant to the act that follows,' like scraping wooden chopsticks together or tapping a soda can before pulling the tab, raised participants' interest in what they subsequently ate or drank. And rituals appeared capable of enhancing the enjoyment not just of treats like chocolate or lemonade bit even baby carrots."
From the August 9, 2012 New York Times article, Rituals Make Our Food More Flavorful, by Catherine Saint Louis.
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