Linkin Park Helps Rhett And Link Determine If Music Affects Taste [WATCH]

In recent years, a new phenomenon in the culinary world known as “sonic seasoning” has begun to catch on. Sonic seasoning is the idea that the type of music or sounds that you hear while eating food can affect overall flavor or different flavor characteristics, such as perception of sweet or sour flavors, levels of spiciness, or even if you can taste the food at all.

While they didn’t call that phenomenon by its name, YouTube stars Rhett and Link have apparently become enamored by sonic seasoning and the idea that music can possibly affect taste. After hearing about the work of Oxford University in that field, they brought in Linkin Park to play them a mini food-themed concert while they put different aspects of Oxford’s research to the test.

Through a variety of made-up songs, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda helped Rhett and Link see if the volume of songs made bowls of Cup Noodles more or less flavorful, if high-pitched music made Sour Patch kids taste sweeter or lower-pitched music made them taste more sour, and if the tempo of a song could affect the spiciness of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

All three experiments proved to be a resounding success and matched what the Oxford studies found, meaning that sonic seasoning might be something restaurants look more into. I bet Linkin Park will be looking at it as they drop their new album and a full-on meal spread at Plan Check next week.