Next time you’re pouring hot chocolate, reach for an orange mug. Research by scientists at Oxford University and the Polytechnic University of Valencia has demonstrated that hot chocolate in an orange or crème colored cup tastes better than the same beverage served in a white or red cup. The brain’s perception changes due to the characteristics associated with that color—the crème cups, for instance, had participants claiming the hot chocolate was sweeter and more aromatic, despite actually being the same variety served in the other colors.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of color impacting our perception of how food tastes. The same team has conducted similar experiments which have deduced that strawberry mousse tastes sweeter on white plates than black ones, soda tastes more refreshing in blue cans than pink ones, and coffee tastes strongest when served in brown packaging.

So what are the implications of our less-than-discerning taste buds? Betina Piqueras-Fiszman, one of the authors of the study, states that “companies should pay more attention to the container because it has a lot more potential than what you imagine.”

H/T Gizmodo

Cristiana WilcoxonTwitterFacebook

Cristiana Wilcoxon is a college student in the OC area who is addicted to Trader Joe's. You can find her studying for midterms with a bag of their white cheddar popcorn in hand, daydreaming about her next meal.