Culinary Psychology : Food Choices and the Mind–Body Connection

Stelios Kiosses, Beth Frates, and Neil Rippington are pioneering world leaders in the relatively new and important field of culinary psychology. Here, they present their must-read textbook on the subject, further enriched with chapters from Professor Charles Spence, world expert in multisensory perception and experience design, and Kimberley Wilson, chartered psychologist, author, lecturer, and podcast host. Food is entwined in all of our lives. As a topic, it belongs simultaneously to many diverse fields, including economics, ecology, agriculture, and sociology. Culinary psychology incorporates many of these outlooks to understand and interpret the meaning of food and to investigate experiential as well as sensory perceptions. Healthy thinking and lifestyle patterns are an integral part of nutrition. Exercise, sleep, friendships, attitude, and alcohol all have a significant impact on the choice, the timing, and our enjoyment of the food we consume. What we eat impacts our mental health and even our libidos – with many comestibles feted for their aphrodisiac power. Added to all of this is the cultural and historical significance of food in our lives and the part it plays in celebrations and commemorations. Outside influences, such as societal expectations, market forces, and government legislation, also affect what and how we eat, as we can see from the rise of processed foods, snacking, and the use (or not) of cutlery and dining tables. This superb resource brings together accessible expertise from these wide-ranging perspectives to demonstrate the importance of culinary psychology in our lives. As our understanding of the impact of what and how we eat continues to grow, this book’s comprehensive overview of culinary psychology will prove invaluable to students, academics, and the general reader.