'It's A Very Special Experience': Design Student Uses 'Sonic Seasoning' To Enhance Food Flavor

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - An art student in England is making music with food, inspired by watching Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) cooking videos.

"Sonic seasoning," the linking foods to sound to help meals taste better, is the brainchild of Mengtian Zhang, a design products student at the Royal College of Art in London. She tries to enhance food with experimental sounds and changing pitch, timbre and modulation.

"It actually influences your appetite and flavor and also the emotion behind the sound," she tells Reuters.

Zhang designs special bowls that can detect the food that adds flavor to our ears and changes how we feel. Some sounds, for example, could help build an appetite.

"I play it when people are pouring honey onto their plate and this one feels quite light and happy," she says.

While other sounds, you might find less appealing for those of us who want to make healthier choices.

"It sounds a very weird so some people lose their appetite when they hear it."

From the looks of it, reactions to this way of tantalizing our taste buds can vary.

"I think it's kinda strange experience," says Tian Gao, a volunteer taster.

"It's a very special experience," says Ruifeng Tang, who is also a volunteer taster.

Zhang hopes her research can someday help people who've lost their sense of taste from COVID-19 or other diseases.