Making the brownie samples

Author: Jessica Williams | Major: Food Science

Hello, my name is Jessica Williams and I am a Food Science and Culinary major with a minor in Nutrition. Over the course of the Fall 2021 semester, I have been working with my mentor, Dr. Han-Seok Seo, at the University of Arkansas Sensory Science Center. I chose Dr. Seo as a mentor after having met with him during Spring 2021. He introduced me to some of his previous research and after reading both his past research and similar research in the realm of sensory science, I became interested in the discipline as a whole. The concept of how features in our surrounding environment can influence how we perceive our food is what really grabbed my interest. After reading previous research related to this topic, Dr. Seo and I settled on investigating whether or not plate color can influence food taste perception for my honors thesis research. Expanding on previous research that found participants perceived the same sweet mousse as being sweeter when served on a white plate compared to a black one, we wanted to determine how dark a plate needed to be before the color will affect taste perception.

 This past Fall 2021 semester, I spent the bulk of my time developing recipes for the two different brownie samples that we will use in our research. The process of developing a brownie recipe was very involved and time-consuming considering the preparation and bake duration for the brownies, as well as figuring out the different ratios of ingredients to ensure that the final product resembles a brownie. The numerous different batches of brownies that I made significantly varied from each other. It was a challenge to get the recipe just right so that it would be appropriate for the experimental design, specifically because we were aiming to make a brownie that would not be rated as too pleasant nor too unpleasant that it would introduce bias. Taking detailed notes throughout the process was very important to ensure I would be able to replicate the exact process if I ever needed to. The notes also helped to look back and see what worked and what did not. Ragita Pramudya, a doctoral student who works with Dr. Seo in his lab, also helped a lot in the process of both research and preliminary taste testing. With both Dr. Seo and Ragita’s feedback, I was able to fine-tune the recipe and settle on the final two that we plan to use in the study.

This Spring 2022 semester, we will need to gather a few more resources before we are able to start the testing phase. Papers to get the plate colors we need are one of the last few things we need to obtain before proceeding with testing. Once we gather these resources, we will be ready to begin presenting the samples to the participants and report back the findings. So far, the process for this project has been heaps of fun to do. I have learned many things that I feel will help me greatly in my future endeavors. Specifically, it was very beneficial for me to learn the process of developing a recipe from nothing since I eventually want to become a research chef – a role that involves rigorously testing recipes and modifying them to change the outcomes to fit the desired need and objectives.

The Honors College Research Grant enabled me to purchase all the supplies I needed for my project along with providing compensation for future participants of the project. From just this past semester alone, I have learned very valuable time management, organization, and cooking skills that will help me for years to come. I look forward to continuing to work on this project in the coming semester and possibly even expanding on the concept in the future.