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Food Is Tastier When Part of a Ritual
当食物是仪式的一部分时，尝起来更好吃
Food can taste better when you’re really hungry. Now a study reveals another condition that can enhance the flavor of a meal: when it’s part of a ritual.
很饿的时候食物更好吃。现在一项新的研究显示在另一种情况下食物也能尝起来更好吃，那就是当食物是仪式的一部分时。
Scientists asked volunteers to eat some chocolate. They told one group to relax for a few minutes, then eat the chocolate in any way they wanted. But another group was given these instructions: “Without unwrapping the chocolate bar, break it in half. Unwrap half of the bar and eat it. Then, unwrap the other half and eat it.”
科学家让实验者吃巧克力。他们告诉一组实验者先放松一会儿，然后随意吃巧克力。但是另一组则有如下要求：不要剥开巧克力包装，先把巧克力掰成两段。剥开一段的包装，吃掉，然后，剥开另一段的包装，吃掉。
And those who went through the more elaborate process rated the chocolate more highly, enjoyed it more, and were willing to pay more for it than the group who just ate it. Another experiment included a delay between the ritual and actually eating the food, and this further increased participants’ enjoyment of the food. [The study is in the journal Psychological Science.]
经过更复杂过程吃掉巧克力的实验者对巧克力评价更高，更享受巧克力，并且比起随意吃掉巧克力的那组更愿意花钱买巧克力。另一个实验在真正吃食物与仪式之间间隔一段时间，这让参与者更享受食物。
The scientists found that personal involvement in a ritual is necessary. When subjects watched someone else prepare lemonade in an elaborate way, they did not experience an increase in their enjoyment of the drink.
科学家发现个人参与到仪式中是很重要的。当实验者观看其他人用复杂的方式准备柠檬水的时候，他们并没有觉得饮料更好喝了。
So, cut your own birthday cake, then hand out slices to everyone else, then taste your piece. It might seem like best thing you ever ate.
所以，自己亲自切自己的蛋糕，然后把刀子交给别人，品尝你自己的那一份。这会让你觉得蛋糕美味无比。
—Christie Nicholson
