Enhancing the flavour of tomato soup with an alcoholic appetiser

The perceived temperature of a dish can affect the appreciation of its flavour as well as other hedonic and sensory qualities of the food. Here, we assessed the potential of an alcoholic appetiser as a taste potentiator and investigated interactions between consumed alcohol and the temperature of a tomato soup. Using a between-participants experimental design, we investigated the appreciation of a tomato soup sample (cool vs. hot) for different presentations (with vs. without an alcoholic appetiser shot tasted beforehand). 257 participants (171 female, mean age of 34 years, SD = 12 years, age range 18–69 years) tasted the tomato soup and evaluated it with respect to several sensorial qualities (i.e., temperature, texture, freshness, intensity, flavour, and liking) and indicated the perceived dominant taste from amongst the five basic tastes. The results highlight that when tasted hot, participants like the soup more, evaluate it as being significantly more flavourful, denser, fresher, and as having a more intense taste. Further, when tasted with an alcoholic appetiser beforehand, the tomato soup is reported as having a significantly lower temperature, as well as being fresher, and more flavourful. The intake of an alcoholic appetiser significantly interacts with the soup temperature and potentiates both the sweet and umami taste of the tomato soup. These results highlight the importance of a soup's serving temperature and the potential of alcohol to enhance the flavour of the dish. The findings are discussed in the context of healthy eating and individual differences in food selection, with consideration of the importance of temperature perception in gastronomic settings.