It seems that an aperitif, a popular alcoholic drink , taken before eating, has a further use, not only to cleanse the palate but it can also enhance the taste of your meal.
A drink for starters can act as a palate cleanser for diners, which enhances the flavour of their meal, a new study has found. Aperitifs apparently may also create a mood of relaxation, which allows people to fully focus on their food. Researchers asked 257 people eating in a restaurant if they were willing to rate their food as part of a scientific experiment. Half were given an aperitif and half were not. Those who had a shot of plum brandy prior to their soup rated it at 76 out of a 100, whilst those who didn't, gave it an average score of 68 out of a 100. Experts believe a similar effect would be achieved with most popular aperitifs.
The study was conducted by the University of Oxford's Professor Charles Spence, a psychologist and an expert at studying people's perception of food who has worked with chef Heston Blumenthal.
The research took place at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Romania and was conducted at a restaurant in Romania. Their findings also found that participants stated their soup was significantly sweeter as a result of taking the aperitif. This may be the reason why people felt an improvement in taste as the researchers noted that alcohol supresses bitter tastes so sweetness may come through more strongly.
Professor Spence suggests that taking an aperitif may enhance the taste of food in Britain, because a drink before dinner is part of our culture , so we are likely to have a 'deep' positive association with it. Dr Georgiana Juravle based at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University who was instrumental in the survey stated ' our findings highlight the usefulness of small quantities of alcohol served in controlled settings for augmenting the perceived profile of a dish '.
Popular aperitif's include Vermouth; Champagne; Prosecco; Pastis; Gin; Ouzo; Fino; Amontillado or other styles of dry sherry.
