QUINTEAESSENTIAL

We know that our enjoyment of flavours is about more than how it tastes. Chefs fiddle and fuss to make a dish sparkle aesthetically, bakeries waft the smell of pastry and fresh bread into the street to seduce passers by. Tasting, is a multi-sensory experience. 

But which of the senses is boss? It would be logical to assume that the eating part – the biting, chewing, and swallowing part – is the bit that tells how food tastes. Our mouth is a behemoth of flavour receptors, primed to transmit information to the brain. This tastes sweet, that tastes like mint – all that information is processed via the mouth, isn’t it?

On the contrary, much research suggests that it is in fact our eyes leading the way, our tongues merely follow. Our eyes tell our brain what it will taste like via a whole series of learned and natural responses, and we taste what we think we should. Peter Barham, professor of physics at Bristol, once said: “if we start by seeing a bright orange colour, we are very likely to think it will taste of oranges.”

Using science and art, Quinteassential brings to you a multi-sensory experience in the enjoyment of tea. Working with renowned artist and photographer Alberto Seveso, we express flavours not just with words, but through a spectrum of colour and energy using ink and water unique to each blend.