Alissa A. Nolden Discusses 'Mouthfeel' with 'Chemistry World'

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Alissa A. Nolden, an assistant professor in the College of Natural Sciences's Department of Food Science, was recently featured in a Chemistry World article about the concept of "mouthfeel," using astringency as a prominent example. The publication describes it this way:

"To experience the phenomenon known as mouthfeel, you could try this experiment—perhaps over the festive season. Swig some red wine and swish it around. Rub your tongue against the roof of your mouth. You should experience a drying, ‘puckering’ or ‘roughing’ sensation, known as astringency. Do you enjoy it? It’s often considered a positive part of the flavour of wine and coffee, notes Christopher Simons from Ohio State University. Astringency is an ‘interesting sensation that a lot of people aren’t familiar with,’ Simons says. Astringency is an example of mouthfeel, the least-known component of flavour."

— Chemistry World

In the article, the author speaks with Nolden about a number of topics, including the astringent foods one might find on her family table:

"At Christmas in Nolden’s house...proteins will be busy helping adults enjoy mimosas, cocktails made of equal parts orange juice and sparkling wine. And Nolden’s family may have experienced astringency a month earlier, in the form of cranberry sauce, which is commonly served in the US at Thanksgiving. The common US form juices cranberries, mixes them with a lot of sugar, and then cans them, Nolden explains. This results in a thick jelly with a very astringent and tart flavour profile, balanced by the added sugar. This makes cranberry sauce a divisive holiday dish. ‘It is a very unique texture experience that if you aren’t used to it is very odd,’ says Nolden."

— Chemistry World

Click here to read more in Chemistry World.