Influence of music on sensory perception and the gastronomic experience of Ecuadorian chocolate tasting

This study examined how background music influences the emotional experience, sensory perception and associated neural responses during the tasting of Ecuadorian dark chocolates with different cocoa percentages (100%, 70% and 52%). Participants evaluated the chocolates under silent and music conditions while providing structured sensory and emotional ratings, alongside electroencephalography (EEG) recordings focused on alpha and beta frequency bands. Results showed that background music significantly enhanced mood for the 100% and 52% chocolates and increased overall satisfaction specifically for the 100% chocolate. These emotional improvements occurred despite concurrent increases in perceived acidity and roughness in the 100% sample, indicating a dissociation between specific sensory attributes and overall hedonic appraisal. EEG analyses revealed modest, sample-dependent changes in oscillatory activity, suggesting limited but observable neural modulation associated with the musical context. Together, these findings indicate that background music can positively shape emotional evaluation during chocolate tasting, even when sensory intensity remains high. The results support the role of affective pathways in multisensory flavour experiences and highlight music as a contextual factor capable of modulating emotional responses independently of detailed sensory changes.