Beauty is in the Taste Buds of the Beholder

We have all been told that it is inner beauty, not outer beauty that counts. "Do not judge a book by its cover" asserts the trite and time honored expression.

Yet women expend considerable time and money on their clothes, hair, and makeup, not to mention the gym. Why? Because whether it is fair or not, they know that men, and sometimes even other women, will initially judge them by their looks.

When men place excessive emphasis on a woman's appearance they are accused of being superficial. When a chef does it with his food however, he is considered creative and prudent.

Humans are significantly visually oriented. Right or wrong, our psyches do make judgments about things based on their most salient features, i.e., visual attributes. Moreover, initial impressions can influence our perception of the forthcoming non-visible aspects, if we allow ourselves to get past the looks.

This happens with everything from the people we meet, to the places we go, to the food we put in our mouths. Studies have shown that people eat more when the food is visually pleasing.

This is not to say that if you were served designer dog biscuits on a pretty plate that you would devour them with glee. But your discernment of a dish's flavor, which is partially psychologically based, can be enhanced if presented with artistic flair.

However, it is not only your perception of taste that the chef wishes to manipulate with his plating artistry. You are likely to come to very different conclusions about a restaurant and its staff if the food is displayed with attention to detail, as opposed to just being slopped on a plate.

The former conveys respect for the food and a chef who is diligent about his craft. Well presented food indeed adds to the overall dining experience.

But just as a man preoccupied with physical beauty will miss the essence of a woman, culinary aesthetics can clash with practical concerns. There are many examples. How many times have your shrimp been served with their tails and that last segment of shell attached?

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