Is this crazy thing the solution to bacon cravings?
Have you ever scratched and sniffed one of those scented stickers? Just a little perfume, for example, in a women’s magazine… Or, somewhat worse, been tricked by a child who said, “Here, you have to smell this—it’s delicious!” and you thought you were going to smell strawberry chewing gum, but it was actually dog poop, durian or something equally disgusting. Well, for anyone who wants to try something weird, the following scented sticker has been developed (albeit with a scientific idea behind it):
The bacon patch! Pardon? Yes, the bacon patch. Not to be confused with the nicotine patch, which delivers a certain amount of nicotine into the bloodstream, the bacon patch doesn’t slowly pump some of that delicious salty fat into your bloodstream. But you can pick or scratch at it, releasing the smell of pork belly (or bacon).
Professor Taste
We think this is a particularly disgusting idea and wondered whether it was a joke. But the scientist who helped develop it is quite serious. Professor Charles Spence teaches Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford and specialises in multisensory eating experiences. He works with renowned and innovative chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and the chefs at the Paul Bocuse Institute and restaurant in Lyon. No small names, then… Spence helped with this project, an initiative by the Irish company Strongroots, which produces vegetarian frozen meals.
Pulling the (bacon) wool over your own eyes
And what is the purpose of these patches? To reduce the craving for meat. He told the British newspaper The Telegraph: “Our sense of smell is strongly connected to taste, so if you smell bacon, that could lead to imagining that we are actually eating bacon. If you then imagine eating a satisfying amount of bacon, you might also be able to feel that satiety.”
Umm… no. At least, I don’t think this is going to work for me. If I smell bacon, I want to eat bacon, and if I keep smelling it but don’t get any, I’ll become experimentally psychologically furious—and if I can’t immediately eat it, for example on a perfectly fried egg sandwich, then hopefully tomorrow. OR the patch would have to smell so disgusting and chemical that all cravings for bacon would automatically disappear! That might work. For people who need a push to start following a vegan diet, it could be useful. Or if you need to lose a few kilos. But otherwise, it would still be a shame…
Also read:
- There is now nail polish with a Cheetos Chipito scent
- Science proves: cheese is highly addictive
- This bacon hack will make your life better
Image: Strongroots.com via Unilad.co.uk
