Most of us have helped ourselves to a little food from someone else’s plate, whether we care to admit it or not. Sometimes you have to be sneaky to steal a bite, since not everyone is okay with sharing, but it turns out, that’s actually better. According to a new study, stolen food actually does taste better.
For the delicious research from the Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, 120 participants took part in an experiment to see if “moral transgression might enhance gustatory pleasure.”
- They were each given the same French fries to eat on four occasions, and despite the servings being identical, people got them in different ways.
- They were either given their own portion directly, or fries were gifted by another diner, and participants were also instructed to covertly take the fries from someone else’s plate while they were distracted, or to steal them in a higher-risk situation where a “stern-looking stranger” was watching.
- The study found that the higher the risk, the tastier the fries were reported to be.
- People ranked the stolen fries as almost 40% more enjoyable than those served directly to them - even though they were exactly the same.
Study authors found that across the experiments, “guilt was positively associated with enjoyment, as was excitement.” The fries taken covertly from the “stern-looking strangers” were found to be far better than the ones given to participants by volunteers or from another participant. Beyond the taste, stealing fries also left many people feeling excited, although some did also feel guilty. But researchers note that stealing food in the real world puts you at risk of legal consequences, which would probably override any boost of flavor or excitement from eating it.
Source: Independent