There’s always a discussion somewhere online about garnish in barbecue competitions.  Some sanctioning bodies allow it, with strict guidelines, some don’t allow it at all.  What I started thinking about is why it may be allowed in some cases.

The conclusion I came to was that we really do eat with our eyes first.  Appearance scores wouldn’t exist if that weren’t true, but, more importantly, TV food shows wouldn’t exist without this fact.

Think about it.  How likely would you be to watch some nut cook on TV, knowing you can’t taste or smell anything, if seeing the food wasn’t a crucial part of the experience?  Try blindfolding yourself and eating… See if it tastes as good as it does when it’s presented nicely.  Have you ever gone to a dinner where the hosts put a lot of effort into how things look, and your reaction is that you can’t wait to eat?

Here are my favorite food experiences on TV:

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