Crunchiness
Crunchiness is the sensation of muffled grinding of a foodstuff. Crunchiness differs from crispness in that a crisp item is quickly atomized, while a crunchy one offers sustained, granular resistance to jaw action. While crispness is difficult to maintain, crunchiness is difficult to overcome.
Crunchy foods are associated with freshness.[1]
Relationship to sound
Crispness and crunchiness can each be "assessed on the basis of sound alone, on the basis of oral-tactile clues alone, or on the basis of a combination of auditory and oral-tactile information".[2] An acoustic frequency of 1.9 kHz seems to mark the threshold between the two sensations, with crunchiness at frequencies below, and crispness at frequencies above.
Crunchy food breaks at a speed of 300 meters per second, which is the speed of sound. The sound of crunching food is therefore "a tiny sonic boom".[1]
Examples
Crunchy foods include:
- Carrots
- Crunch bar
- Mints
- Crisps
- Fancy Bread
- Apple
- Bones
See also
References
- ^ a b Roach, Mary (26 March 2013). "Mary Roach on Studying How Humans Chew and Eat". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ Sensory Evaluation of Food: Principles and Practices.
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