Good appetiser can make your main course less enjoyable

Want to enjoy your meal? Give the appetiser a miss!
A good appetiser can make the main course less enjoyable for diners, a new study has found.
Jacob Lahne, an assistant professor in the Center for Hospitality and Sport Management at Drexel University found that a good or mediocre appetiser has the potential to significantly change how the main course is enjoyed.
Lahne found that a comparatively good appetiser could make people enjoy the main course less than if it were preceded by a mediocre appetiser.
Lahne tested and analysed subjects' hedonic (liking) responses to a main dish of 'pasta aglio e olio' (pasta with garlic and oil) after they had either a good or mediocre bruschetta appetiser.

The good bruschetta was made with extra ingredients like balsamic vinegar and lemon zest, as well as fresher and better quality ingredients, like extra virgin oil and fresh basil compared to the blended olive oil and dried basil in the mediocre bruschetta.

The good bruschetta was judged better than the mediocre bruschetta, but the pasta dish was liked more when preceded by the mediocre appetiser, the study found.
One possible explanation for this result is that the very nature of the appetite-whetting first dish sways the consumer to compare it with the subsequent courses, to the latter's potential detriment, researchers said.

"It's always worth remembering that our experiences are contextual-that is, what we like and don't like, or taste and don't taste, is not objective, but related to the environment, our state of mind, and many other variables," said Lahne.
"If you have a fantastic appetiser and then the main seems lacklustre, that could be because of this type of contrast effect" said Lahne.