Expert Suggests We Eat With Our Mouths Open
Ever since you were young, you have probably been taught various table manners. For instance, you may have been told not to put your elbows on the table or to leave enough food for others.But above all, eating with your mouth closed is basic dining etiquette. In fact, chewing with your mouth open is considered uncouth behavior in almost all cultures.However, there is one scholar and scientist who is going against the grain. As a matter of fact, psychologist Charles Spence says everyone should smack their lips and eat with their mouths fully open.“We’ve been doing it all wrong,” Spence recently told the Telegraph, a British newspaper.Spence is a professor at the University of Oxford. He has done many studies on how people consume their food.According to Spence, chewing open mouthed has numerous advantages. Most notably, meat, fruits, and vegetables contain organic compounds that give the food their aroma and flavor.When we chew with our mouths open, more of these aromatic compounds and flavors get released from the food. They stimulate the back of the nose and greatly enhance our eating experience.Spence also encourages us to ignore other basic table manners, such as making noise when we eat. Indeed, he thinks that these loud sounds are actually pleasurable and help to improve the joy of eating. It is a reason that people enjoy crunchy and crispy food.Also, the Oxford professor urges us to eat with our hands whenever we can. The tactile experience of touching our food heightens the appreciation of the meal, he says.Currently, Spence is working with several Michelin star restaurants to design different course meals. He hopes to offer a culinary experience that engages all five senses rather than just the sense of taste.
Questions:1. What have been some of the proper table manners we were taught by our parents?2. Why is psychologist Charles Spence going against not allowing people to chew with their mouths open?3. What advantage can people get from chewing open mouthed?4. Why does the professor encourage eating with hands?5. In what way do you enjoy your food the most? How do you do it without offending other people?
