Pleasantness, familiarity, and identification of spice odors are interrelated and enhanced by consumption of herbs and food neophilia

: Antti Knaapila, Oskar Laaksonen, Markus Virtanen, Baoru Yang, Hanna Lagström, Mari Sandell

Publisher: ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

: 2017

: Appetite

: 109

: 190

: 200

: 11

: 0195-6663

: 1095-8304

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.11.025

The primary dimension of odor is pleasantness, which is associated with a
multitude of factors. We investigated how the pleasantness,
familiarity, and identification of spice odors were associated with each
other and with the use of the respective spice, overall use of herbs,
and level of food neophobia. A total of 126 adults (93 women, 33 men;
age 25-61 years, mean 39 years) rated the odors from 12 spices (oregano,
anise, rosemary, mint, caraway, sage, thyme, cinnamon, fennel,
marjoram, garlic, and clove) for pleasantness and familiarity, and
completed a multiple-choice odor identification. Data on the use of
specific spices, overall use of herbs, and Food Neophobia Scale score
were collected using an online questionnaire. Familiar odors were mostly
rated as pleasant (except garlic), whereas unfamiliar odors were rated
as neutral (r = 0.63). We observed consistent and often significant
trends that suggested the odor pleasantness and familiarity were
positively associated with the correct odor identification, consumption
of the respective spice, overall use of herbs, and food neophilia. Our
results suggest that knowledge acquisition through repetitive exposure
to spice odor with active attention may gradually increase the odor
pleasantness within the framework set by the chemical characteristics of
the aroma compound.