The temptation to steal a chip or two from the plate of an unsuspecting friend has tested many relationships.
But scientists have found that food pinched from another diner really does taste better.
Researchers at the Russian Medical Academy set out to test whether “moral transgression might enhance gustatory pleasure” by gauging how people’s responses to a portion of chips changed depending on how the fried goods were obtained.
A total of 120 participants were each served a portion of chips in four situations. In one they were served directly, and in another they were offered chips by another diner.
But participants were also instructed to steal chips covertly while another diner was distracted, either in a relaxed setting where the risk of being caught was low, or in a high-risk setting where a stern-looking bystander stood guard.
Each time, the participants ranked the tastiness of the chips on a scale from one to nine, with the stolen chips proving the unanimous winner.
‘Everyday transgressions engage reward circuits’
The study, published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, found that as risk increased, so did the reward, with the food obtained from “high-risk” pilfering tasting around 40 per cent better on average than those simply served to participants.
Even though nothing was different in the chips’ temperature or preparation, the experiment found that those obtained through stealth were perceived to be saltier, crisper and more flavoursome.
The findings reflect ideas familiar to both economists and psychologists: that scarcity and prohibition can increase the desirability of a product.
In addition to their enlivened taste buds, the participants reported experiencing greater excitement and guilt when eating the food, both of which were associated with enjoyment, the researchers said.
Cultures across the globe have acknowledged the link between stolen food and pleasure as far back as Adam picking the “forbidden fruit”.
Italians have a proverb, “Il cibo rubato ha più sapore,” which means “stolen food has more flavour”, while the Japanese term nusumigui refers to the act of secretly eating something.
The study authors said the finding “extends our understanding of how everyday transgressions engage reward circuits”, offering explanations for impulsive behaviour and consumer psychology.