The Taste of Color

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To the average tongue, the color "red" doesn't have a flavor or a smell. But color can affect how we perceive the world in so many ways - including how things taste and smell!
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[@SciShowPsych]

LEGO Education, today's sponsor, has been inspiring teachers and students in the classroom for over 40 years through playful, hands-on, and engaging STEAM learning experiences. Check out the new LEGO Education SPIKE Essential solution: education.lego.com/en-us/spike-essential#meet-spike-essential

[@NewMessage]

My ex wife loved green peppers for one reason, and one reason only... they "Taste green." That's it. She thought green peppers were the only thing she'd ever tasted that tasted 'right', as far as their color went, and the satisfaction that gave her was enough to put them at the top of her food list.

[@jeaniebird999]

I have a faint memory of tasting something that I thought tasted exactly like its color, I just don't remember what it was, but I think it was orangish and I'm pretty sure it wasn't healthy, probably some junk food. But, I _can_ see how I would get extra enjoyment by finding something that _did_ taste like its color. Pure satisfaction.

[@fretnesbutke3233]

Come to think of it, that's how I feel about canteloupe.

[@peterknutsen3070]

For many, many years, I’d prefer green apples, almost always avoiding red ones, based on the assumption that they’re sour and nasty. Turns out they aren’t. I still suspect they taste a bit differently from each other, but I like them both.

[@cathleenc6943]

They do taste green in a very not-ripe-yet almost grassy kind of way, which is actually why I prefer the red, yellow, or orange ones, lol.

[@jeaniebird999]

@@cathleenc6943 Exactly! Me, too!

[@chenoaholdstock3507]

Can confirm this. I make ice-cream, and the strawberry ice-cream 100% tastes better if I add pink food colour.

[@mandymom2800]

You gotta have the taste of pink otherwise it feels wrong

[@yiotatort]

I'd want to try not pink strawberry ice cream, I would probably think it tasted better , I made another post about my failure to enjoy red velvet cake ice cream that was pink with little bit of red cake because my brain refused to believe it was not strawberry flavored

[@chenoaholdstock3507]

@@yiotatort do you not like Strawberry?

[@katiebug217]

I belive this 1000 percent cause I always gravitate towards pink foods

[@ezmoore27]

"This drink is purple. Purple is a fruit." -Homer J. Simpson

[@laijamanuel]

Ah, I See You're a Man of Culture As Well

[@canis2020]

This drink is...... Green. - Data

[@PRDreams]

"Grape? This is clearly "purple drink"." - My child to his teacher because we call it purple drink at home. Homer is life...

[@christophersummers1939]

"i want some apple drink! it's greeeen!" -todd

[@spacepope69]

Dr Pepper tastes purple!

[@bobbobber4810]

Not totally related, but once I made a meal in which people were blindfolded and when people started to eat, we were going around with a thing full of nitrogen and spices. (so the nitrogen was going back to gas with the smell of the spices in it) People were tasting the meal with those spices even if there was none in the dishes. Eating is such an interesting science.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

So you dumped some spices into liquid nitrogen?...

[@bobbobber4810]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn Yeah. Like I said, the nitrogen go back in gas pretty quickly, caring the smell of the spices with it... so the customers were able to smell it without us having to putting those spice directly on their faces :p This was during my formation as a cook. This is was a kind of experimental part of it. The teacher was kind of crazy and that was making things interesting :p

[@amegenshiken]

Yeah, I think I remember reading somewhere that most of your sense of taste's actually majorly influenced by your sense of smell... Which can help explain how...particular respiratory illnesses can dampen (if not temporarily disable) your sense of taste. (For example, 'cause a mucus-clogged nose can't smell anything.)

[@pvtpain66k]

I figured this out when I was a teenager because realized I was eating M&M's in order of color. Red, blue, green, orange, yellow, brown.

[@sophierobinson2738]

The red always tasted best! Then they took red away for awhile. My brother, sister and I had nothing to fight over. We had to share a bag between us, by the way.

[@roselover411]

I always thought the green ones tasted best XD I'd eat them in order from least favorite (brown) to most favorite.

[@bjornmu]

I remember once at an airport I bought an ice cream that was yellow and was very surprised when it tasted strawberry 🍓. It was a very odd experience. I've also picked yellow raspberries and I couldn't quite convince myself they tested like red ones, but they probably did.

[@keriezy]

4th grade a girl did a science experiment with 7uP. She added food coloring and had kids try the drinks and then asked their favorite and why. Most said red tasted like cherry and orange of orange.... but they were ALL the same!

[@Alpha13Wolf]

Can confirm color influences taste two months ago I had mild covid and lost my sense of taste; it was terrible. When I would see the yellow of a lemon, while eating said lemon I was actually able to taste the lemon slightly but if drank lemonade without any yellow, I couldn’t even taste it but a hint of sweetness.

[@noisemagician]

When I took a high dose of mushrooms, I experienced synesthesia, I could taste colours, my friend was wearing a bright purple shirt and I tasted the colour of his shirt.

[@orchdork775]

I'm so jealous! That sounds amazing!!

[@noisemagician]

@@orchdork775 It was one of de most profound and intense experiences of my life.

[@maxximumb]

I still want to know who decided that raspberry flavour was sometimes blue.

[@isabel.bolivia]

I've always loved everything purple, the colour, beverages made of grape, blackberries, blueberries 😍💜

[@cristinaw2541]

After watching this video, it make a lot more sense to why Lulu say ' Hmmm~ that taste like purple~ '

[@Yiyitama]

@scishow psych: So, legitimate question! In these types of sight-to-taste based studies, would a blind person be considered a control result, seeing (excuse the pun) as their lack of sight would result in a “truer answer” as color would have no influence over their decision?

[@infinightmoon6268]

I mean, you could just blindfold a sighted person...

[@rafaelderechter1635]

I was thinking a similar thing as a colour blind person ( red/green ). Would I taste the lime/strawberry more correct because of that?

[@julietardos5044]

@@infinightmoon6268 A blind person is used to tasting without seeing. A blind-folded sighted person is not. I suspect there would be a difference, with the blind person better able to taste without sight than the blind-folded sighted person. An interesting hypothesis.

[@letsgoBrandon204]

When you're introduced to a food your friend likes. You think; "yup, that tastes grey"

[@KlaudiusL]

"..your expectation is actually enough to overpower reality" ... me, everytime I see someone beautiful

[@georgedeng8646]

Ah, of course there is also the smell of gravity.

[@calcaware]

Always smelled like blood to me.

[@chadherbert18]

It’s like those memes that have a weird animal sound pattern, then they tell you it says this or that, and suddenly it’s all you can hear! Perhaps seeing red means you expect strawberry and suddenly it tastes like strawberry! 😂 The problem with a detector that is always learning as it’s detecting?

[@TheAureliac]

I always buy cobalt blue glasses because they make water taste cleaner and colder.

[@KevinLambertperfected]

This video is sweet like the color red

[@AtarahDerek]

Color is our first clue about a fruit's ripeness and health. A green orange is technically edible, but it's also very tart. And when we eat a green orange, we expect that tartness. So drinking a green flavored orange drink might cause us to perceive more tartness than is there, and thus we assume it's lime. Cherry is a sweeter taste, and a green colored cherry drink may taste like it should be orange, because we still taste more tartness, but not as much as we might with actual orange or lime flavoring. The reverse is also true. A lime drink colored red will taste sweeter because we perceive it as "ripe," and thus might be mistaken for orange or even cherry. Orange being in the middle, it's the color whose flavor is likely easiest to pick out properly. If it seems sweeter, it must be cherry. If it seems more tart, it must be lime. If it tastes like it matches, it's orange.

[@UrvineSpiegel]

Expectation: "Reality can be what ever I want..."

[@nielsssg]

Heinz did a limited edition green ketchup once. This video is accurate

[@militantpacifist4087]

I can see numbers and letters with both having a color and a sex/gender as well as with a personality.

[@marachime]

the expectency thing is like how parmesan actually smells like vomit, but if we think it's cheese we like the smell

[@TheWasimu]

Would be interesting to look if there are also associations between sound and taste or sound and vision

[@avariceseven9443]

I notice this in a lot of channels that involves eating food. When describing food with color, they tend to describe them using common food/fruit that has that color.

[@remithefrog350]

I have synesthesia! I don't know why I'm so excited about it being mentioned, but yeah.

[@rolfathan]

That flavor test works well when you expect a flavor to be artificial, as with the drinks. I'd argue no specific color apple or pear has a bearing on my preference of it. I had no expectation of a different flavor of an apple based on its color until I tried that new variety of apple. I would even say if I were to have any bias in flavor preference, because I like strawberries, cherries, and cranberries, you would think I should like a red apple more. But instead, I prefer Golden Delicious. A yellow apple. Maybe if this test had been done coloring natural flavors instead of artificial, such as a juice? Or applied to a sauce?

[@KipTM]

this reminds me of when pepsi released crystal pepsi which was the exact same as regular pepsi but without the black dye and looked clear, it isnt sold anymore (as far as i know) because people complained about the taste despite it tasting the exact same

[@cannonaire]

Just started watching, and that is EXACTLY how I see the months. Counter-clockwise with December/January at the top.

[@chayimadinaandyael]

This is so accurate

[@therongjr]

I'm not sure why someone with synesthesia would see May as cobalt blue, but the rest of the colors for the months make sense to me.

[@AramatiPaz]

Can't stop to think about "blue flavored" stuff.

[@valeriejones8195]

It's so true. When I made green eggs & ham for our family's breakfast one morning even though everyone was hungry it was amazing to see how much of both the eggs and the ham were left behind uneaten on each plate when normally the plates would be "licked clean". I know it's silly, but green eggs & ham just didn't seem to taste as good.

[@katiehowe3764]

Synesthesia is just a more intense version of what most people already experience - that's why we have phrases such as "sharp cheese."

[@solarnaut]

the notion that we are subject to "mis-cue-ing" forms of information seems understandable and reminds me of those "tests" where the word of a color is printed in a different color ! B-)

[@thekaxmax]

It's been demonstrated that kids will eat their vegetables if you dye them fun colours. This was both for visual interest and apparent taste.

[@mc4ndr3]

Did similar experiment in middle school. Boys preferred the blue jello, girls preferred the red jello. None of the jello was flavored. Everyone agreed the jello was overall disgusting. The bell rang before I could explain.

[@protohale]

Colors can affect the way we perceive the world, and researchers have shown that they can make us more likely to mistake a drink for one that matches its color. In a 2007 study, researchers gave 124 drinks to 11 participants to sample. The subjects' task was to identify the flavor of each drink on a multiple-choice answer sheet. Colors play a big role in our perception of smell and taste, and scientists have shown that they can help us identify what we're smelling or tasting more quickly and accurately. One study found that the source of a smell doesn't have to be the same color as the person who's giving it to you. Colors can play a big role in how we perceive the world around us, and scientists are exploring whether or not our brains choose what signals to pay attention to. For example, researchers have suggested that by shifting our attention, visual information from an object's color might make us notice more "redness" or "green-ness" in its flavor. And that could possibly shift our perception of its taste.

[@amicaaranearum]

November is definitely brown - just like Thursday.

[@avaboaudione]

I've liked the same ice cream flavor since i was a child. Blue. I later found out it's bubblegum but that doesn't really matter.

[@Platanov]

2:16 Mountain Dew Code Red is red flavored.

[@jimcappa6815]

We made the kids 'green eggs and ham' one night since that's what they wanted. Added a little blue to the eggs since yellow + blue = green, except it made the eggs sort of aqua. The kids thought they were great, but the adults thought they were gross, even though the taste was fine. Really weird. Maybe some of the flavor expectations are learned?

[@TheGIGACapitalist]

Now I'm not sure if blue is my favorite colour or if it's my favorite flavor...

[@mauimonique]

This is why I have such high expectations of blue colored things. Top 4 favorite blue things nobody asked me for: 1. Blue raspberry lemonade kool-aid 2. Berry lemonade Jones soda 3. Blue Razz berry blow pop 4. Blue side of a red & blue trolli gummy worm

[@ChiefWaller]

I wonder if this is related to an effect I have noticed for myself. If I expect to one taste and get surprised by another, I notice that, at least momentarily, I may feel it is nasty. Even if it is a flavor I usually like. Has anyone else ever noted a similar effect?

[@rebbecachunn]

Hehe being colorblind throws a wrench in the works 🙃

[@Mncdk]

Oooh a soccer goal. So definitely not a gallows on wheels. Good, good.

[@sanjuansteve]

Color is wavelength based, vibrations. It's not hard to imagine how we could sense variations in vibrations through our mouths. We continuously underestimate the intelligence and abilities of other animals and ourselves as well.

[@disorganizedorg]

Rather than comparing "expectancy-based effect" to "placebo" I'd view it as a form of confirmation bias.

[@shivankit32]

You're Right..If it's something Sweet to eat in Red Color it automatically gives our mind a prescription bout cherry or strawberry but if it's something sour/salty then Red Chilly Flows in our Mind 🤨👌👍

[@KelliColeStudios]

I knew I wasn’t crazy! Lol I knew I could taste colors!😂😅

[@lorenzofk]

Can they do an experiment with an opaque lid so you can’t see the color?

[@monkemind420]

I've seen sounds while on psychedelics

[@hannahtaylor2933]

Okay, but literally tints smell a certain way thoooough. Like blue colorant that goes in paint smells like how a blue jolly rancher tastes

[@lekiscool]

I have sound/movement synesthesia. Both ways.

[@FB13]

1st. Turquoise is my fav

[@cmplx21]

My guess is that the mind compares the current situation (including all senses) with the ones it has stored. I mean sometimes when you remember things you can also remember some kind of smell associated with that situation so I think the brain just takes all the information it has and makes its best guess. Just like AI our minds are not perfect and if you present a situation that has not been learned yet its more guessing than everything else

[@GoharFatima1920]

Awesome!!

[@UHFStation1]

I think it might be more about accessing more completely certain flavors/effects when certain colors are present. Like poisonous berries or plants are often a different color than what is expected from edible ones. I'd be curious about the brain connections though as color is more or less 1 dimensional but flavor is a combination of on and off switches of stimuli.

[@BrandEver117]

Putting art into stem just so it says steam is the absolute dumbest

[@peubie3457]

I loved the thumbnail

[@AnimilesYT]

I don't know the flavour of strawberry. Like, I can't imagine it. And a drink can't taste like a strawberry because it doesn't have the texture of a strawberry. So if I got a red coloured drink I would probably guess it's strawberry because it tastes like something and it looks a tiny bit like strawberry. So, does the colour affect how I perceive the taste, or do I just not know the taste well enough to identify it correctly? I probably wouldn't think the lime flavour and orange flavour are the same when I get them in a red drink, but I would probably call them both strawberry 🤔

[@perkytxgirl]

Blue is my favorite flavor.

[@Elfos64]

I'd say it's conditioning. We know what colors the fruit in nature those flavors are based on are, which is why the drinks are colored that way artificially. But when you deliberately negate that conditioned association, of course it screws with ability to correctly identify.

[@Ice_Karma]

I wonder how sensitivity (or lack thereof) of smell/taste correlates with identifying the flavour based on the colour, rather than the taste. Poor sense of smell/taste => more likely to assume flavour from colour?

[@filhanislamictv8712]

Where is Miss Brit Garner at??

[@AryanPrajapati888]

So much knowledgeable

[@LePedant]

I put the pink crème cheese on my bagel with out reading the label. I was expecting strawberry, I got smoked salmon. lol it was awful 🤮🤢🤮

[@Delathers2651]

has anyone ever checked the box a snack or meal came in to see what flavor it was before eating it instead of just tasting it?

[@alarcon99]

Personally, I blame Fruit Loops

[@AleesaTana]

Blue is clearly the superior flavor

[@IceMetalPunk]

Brown is the color of chocolate, which is why it's the best color to taste.

[@addicted2caffeine]

red haribo bears are apple flavoured. however everyone tastes them as strawberry... try eating them in the dark....

[@cousinjake7986]

I have synesthesia, and I cook based on colors.

[@disky01]

There has to be an evolutionary reason for this. Probably related to identifying edibility?

[@alertsquirrel]

I wonder if this holds true for those dealing with Hypophantasia and Aphantasia?

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

Just kidding, but seriously My kids seriously thought that Nestle Quick came in two flavors, Chocolate and Pink.

[@jrgaskin01]

i feel pain in different colors.

[@sunnyquinn3888]

My favorite flavor is red. ❤

[@kiltedbroshar4187]

Green is the best flavor

[@ChadMourning]

No discussion of Blue Raspberry. I am disappointed.

[@judethaddeus9856]

I have Synesthesia

[@aparnadwivedi6378]

In some Indian dishes , we purposely first see colour and then assume its quality and taste.

[@letsgoBrandon204]

I wonder what Pantone 448 C tastes like... 🤢

[@RoseDragoness]

red is spicy, yellow is sour, green is mild like vegs, brown is bbq, purple is grape, idk what blue is... there isn't much blue foods.

[@lenabreijer1311]

Blueberries, blackberries, blue potatoes, cabbage, kale.

[@fraserhenderson7839]

@@lenabreijer1311 all purple, primarily due to the presence of anthocyanins (flavinoids). blue potatoes concentrate selenium (in the right soil) resulting in a layered internal purple stain which fades to blue when cooked. there is no blue food in cultivation.

[@icepick976]

Green is sour 🍏

[@cdubb444]

Yay brain's are fun

[@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647]

Fruitloops are the same flavor

[@cykonetic]

I wonder how aphantasia effects this.

[@makeracistsafraidagain]

Synesthesia is my favorite part of psychedelics. Well, one of my favorites.

[@candycemonroe7345]

Stroop effect?

[@Xueria]

Pink was always better than red when it came to flavours.

[@twinstarssystem2857]

0:35 is WRONG April is CLEARLY blue!!! /j

[@jamiehines4171]

Have they tried this on blind people? They can't see the color & don't have that preconceived flavor/taste expectation that sighted people apparently have hardwired into their brains. How bout people that lost their sight after having it for yrs? It's an interesting topic & learned it myself. My bank has suckers & if you ask they'll give you some. I asked for purple because I'm a fan. The teller said all colors are cherry flavor. I hadn't noticed that they didn't taste like grape or even cherry.

[@bwedesign]

Did everything just taste purple?

[@rickjames5998]

Dont do drugs, kids.

[@ThePhoenixpaw]

STEM, or steam learning?

[@ilv1]

3:28 are you serious? How is it not clear why this happens? Our brains have been primed to associate different fruit/foods with different tastes. Why would my brain expect blue to be strawberry flavored if I already know that strawberries are red and everything strawberry flavored is red? This just seems like common sense. I'm glad we have science to back it up but still... I remember an old Hesston Blumenthal documentary where a crunching sound was played through headphones while people ate uncrunchy food and experienced weird sensations as their brain expected the food to be crunchy. This was 15 years ago. Are there not any other, more exciting discoveries?

[@ababababaababbba]

Still laughing about how art was added to stem making it steam

[@ababababaababbba]

Oh ya makes sense

[@lenabreijer1311]

I assumed it was A for architecture. But art works too.

[@hunterbrooke6409]

Art is pretty important to convey science. It’s exceptionally important in tech. You need people who can design textbooks, create websites, shape the graphics of video games.

[@lenabreijer1311]

@@hunterbrooke6409 yes without art there would be no video games, no movies, no TV shows, websites would be lists of things (I wrote those) no photographs, no paints for your walls, you would be sitting on a dirt floor.