- For all the talk of the tongue and palate, our eyes are arguably the most important gustatory organ.... more than half of our cortical real estate is dedicated to processing vision—just a percent or two is given over to taste faculties (making us rather unique among mammals). The result is not just that color flavors our expectations: It actually changes how we taste food.
I am so glad this was included in the article. As I began reading this, I was immediately reminded of a friend's research in cross modal reorganization in the auditory system in children with hearing loss, and wondered wondered how taste might be affected by some one who either lost or gained visual ability... I would find that research really interesting.a painter who lost the ability to distinguish colors after a car crash. While he knew the color of things from memory, he no longer saw them. “Tomato juice is black,” he wrote. Over time, these new associations took hold.
This is so interesting, I didn't know color could be this impactful. Just last night I went out to eat with a friend who refused to try a certain sauce simply because it had a weird color. I also wonder if this is why children's medicines are so vibrant.