We explored the impact of shape on chocolate taste perception, a less-studied facet of sensory influence on taste. Leveraging the Bouba-Kiki effect, a phenomenon highlighting shape-sensory modality interactions, we used a 3D food printer to create chocolates of four distinct shapes - two rounded (Bouba) and two angulars (Kiki). Participant tastings and subsequent questionnaire responses indicated a perceived sweetness in the Bouba-shaped chocolates compared to their Kiki-shaped counterparts. This finding, confirmed through Bayesian analysis with PyMC, reinforces earlier research on crossmodal correspondences between shape and taste perception. Our research indicates that shape can affect taste perception during consumption and suggests that food 3D printers offer an opportunity to design specific shapes that influence taste experiences.

@article{osx2023chocolate,
  title={The Influence of Bouba- and Kiki-like Shape on Perceived Taste of Chocolate Pieces},
  author={Ogata, Kazuhiro and Gakumi, Reo and Hashimoto, Atsushi and Ushiku, Yoshitaka and Yoshida, Shigeo},
  journal={Frontiers in Psychology},
  volume={14},
  year={2023},
  url={https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1170674},
  doi={10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1170674},
  publisher={Frontiers Media SA}, 
}