The Power of Crunch

The term “crunch” packs a punch with consumers when it comes to sensory appeal and the foods we enjoy. Walnuts provide a satisfying crunch with a bite that’s neither too hard nor too soft. They have just enough of that special crunch to be a top-notch ingredient for snack foods.

Why does “crunch” appeal to us so much? In the American Psychological Association’s “Bite, Chew, Savor” article, clinical psychologist Jean Kristeller, Ph.D., said that we eat when it’s time to eat, but also we eat to “handle feelings of anger, anxiety, depression or simple boredom.” Kristeller developed training programs that focus on mindful eating, an awareness of hunger, what it feels like to be full and the practice of savoring. She teaches “slowing down to truly taste food and be mindful of the various flavors and sensory experiences associated with each bite.” Her research is about finding satisfaction in quality, not quantity — something that crunch certainly helps with.

Smell and taste researcher Alan Hirsch, M.D., refers to hearing a crunch as “the music of mastication.” He told Mental Floss: “For non-gustatory, non-olfactory stimulation, people prefer crunchiness. Humans love crunchy, noisy snacks, that loud rattling that travels to our inner ear via air and bone conduction and helps us identify what it is we’re consuming.”

When we can hear our food, we eat more. If something is soggy or muted, we’re turned off.

Gastrophysicist and professor of experimental psychology Charles Spence, Ph.D., said that humans aren’t born liking noisy foods, but we know that if chips are soggy we don’t like them. “Missing the sound is important,” he told Mental Floss. “Sound affects the experience of food. The noise draws attention to the mouth in the way something silent does not. A crunch will draw your attention to what you’re eating, making you concentrate on it. Noisy foods make you think about them.”