Some scientists are trying to determine the role that sound plays in our perception of food, after the discovery that eating crunchy foods
produces small pulses of ultrasound. Though doubtless everyone has heard the loud crunch of tortilla chips ringing in
their ears, is the sound the deciding factor in your level of satisfaction with the chip? The argument about the tree
in the forest could certainly be applied here. It is difficult to select a very crunchy food that does not produce a
sound when chewed, or in which the taste could be perceived as an element separate from the act of eating
it. Consider that there are many items that found along with food and are not eaten, though they would certainly
produce a crunch if chewed, like the bones in meat. The sound does not enhance the flavor or the likelihood that the bones will be eaten. It is possible that they
might taste worse if not for their crunch? Perhaps sound can be described as a property of crunchy foods, not
as a separate element of the sense of taste.
Role of sound in food perception
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