As mentioned in the previous blog, I have done one test with friends and planned two others. This blog tells about Test #2 the other test I didn’t do.
I have observed that many people, if not most, seem to believe that they can have a drink of booze or wine and judge a good meal. Having done beer marketing research as a young man I know that after half-a-glass of beer, virtually no one can tell their own favorite beer (Bud) from any similar beer (Miller).
So I concluded...
So I concluded that after one glass of wine an average chef is
considered “good” and after two glasses of wine an average chef is
“great.” Moreover, after two glasses of wine, a Burger King without
the identifying marks is considered a “wonderful” burger cooked by a
first rate chef.
The test of my hypothesis was to have 40 people over, and have a pre-test to let them identify differences in four kinds of chocolate, beer and mashed tuber (potato, yam etc). The test was to be double blind with no color or texture differences in the three groups of four test flavors.
After drinking a glass of wine or a glass of their favorite booze, the
test was to be repeated. Good test, great proof. Most people would be successful in identifiying all twelve flavors on the pre-test and fail the post-test miserably.
A friend did a half-baked version of my test and we learned that after a drink, many people weren’t interested in finishing the taste test, not a surprise. We also learned that one great cook who was well known for her ability to taste ingredients in complex foods, did better than the rest of the guests. Everyone, of course, failed.
I have never done the actual test myself for one simple reason. Not that people wouldn’t believe the test results, most wouldn’t, but because it isn’t my job in life to take pleasure away from people. The simple pleasure of drinking wine with dinner and believing it enhances the taste buds is not to be disparaged.
Lets drink to my job description.