Apparently Hot Chocolate Tastes Better In An Orange Cup

Starbucks and City Bakery might have to get a new cup design; a study from the Polytechnic University of Valencia has found that hot chocolate is considered better in an orange- or cream-colored cup, instead of red or white.

Researchers surveyed 57 participants who sampled hot chocolate in four different colored cups of the same size and material. Although the hot chocolate was the same, the volunteers found the hot chocolate in cream and orange cups to be tastier, with the cream-colored cup evoking slightly sweeter and aromatic flavors for tasters.

"The color of the container where food and drink are served can enhance some attributes like taste and aroma," researcher Betina Piqueras-Fiszman said in a press release. In the past, research has indicated that yellow tins improve lemon flavors, while soft drinks in cooler colors like blue were deemed more thirst-quenching then those served in red cups (Pepsi wins, we guess).

Other research has found that drinks in pink were considered more sugary, while coffee associated with brown packaging was considered stronger, while red, blue, or yellow packaging made the coffee seem lighter.

"There is no fixed rule stating that flavor and aroma are enhanced in a cup of a certain color or shade," Piqueras-Fiszman said. "In reality this varies depending on the type of food, but the truth is that, as this effect occurs, more attention should be paid to the color of the container as it has more potential than one could imagine." In the meantime, we're off to buy colored mugs for every drink.