There are hashtags dedicated to pretty food. And often, you'll see people whip out their phone cameras at a restaurant before they pick up a fork. There's something beautiful about a well-presented dish: like an artistic masterpiece that you feel too bad to destroy.
Good chefs don't make food look fancy because they're bored in the kitchen. A wise Roman man once said that “We eat first with our eyes,” and I, for one, would tend to agree.
According to the Dr. D. Y. Patil Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, there are a number of reasons why presentation is important when it comes to food...
The foodie experts say presentation of food is a critical aspect of the customer's dining experience. And here's why... "Correct presentation techniques allow the food to be displayed to its best potential. [It] adds color & texture to the dish," notes the Institute's site.
Garnishes & accompaniments also enhance the nutritious value of the food, adds the school's Rohan Joglekar. "Food presentation is the art of modifying, processing, arranging or decorating the food to enhance its aesthetic appeal," he writes. "Creating a theatre effect through various presentation techniques impacts the customers psychologically."
Many people love their food to be arranged & served correctly. And of course, "People judge the hygiene standards, taste & quality of the restaurant or a place by looking at the way the food is presented before even tasting the food," says Joglekar.
The expert has some tips to follow when it comes to presenting your next plated dinner. Firstly, always be attentive. Use clean, unchipped crockery and cutlery. Wipe away any drips or mess.
"It is the connection between the mind and the mouth that dictates your health and your weight. Your senses, sight-smell-taste-hearing-touch, will dictate how much you eat, and to a great extent, your choices and enjoyment of your food," he says.
Joglekar adds that you should always choose ingredients and techniques to suit the desired effect you're aiming for. "Vision is crucial in identifying ingredients, their quality, and the techniques used, and even has a bearing on the perception of flavour," he explains.
A dish not displayed traditionally may "not taste the same," he warns, adding that an unfamiliar color, such as blue, may be off-putting to some diners. And the experts over at food and recipe site CookWell agree.
"Our visual experience of a dish creates anticipation, disappointment, confusion, curiosity, or awe," they say. "We expect foods to look a certain way."
As a basic example, CookWell warns that a mac & cheese should appear "melty and steaming hot, not clumpy, dry, and cold." A steak, they say, should be deeply browned on the crust, not grey.
And for the love of all things delicious, "expensive cocktails, wine, or beer should come served in elegant glassware, while cheap drinks can be sipped from a can or plastic cup," reads the site.
