The effect of food colors on the perceptions and preferences of people: A cross-cultural research

Foods can affect people by taste, smell, heat etc., some dishes are attractive to people, while others are repulsive. One of the important features of dishes that shape people's preferences is their colors. The appetisingness and attractiveness of a dish is greatly influenced by its color. This influence may occur in different ways in different cultures. In this context, it is possible for people with different cultural backgrounds to perceive the colors of food in different ways. From this point of view, this study was carried out to be identified the perceptions and preferences of people from different cultures for colors of food. In this study, it was aimed to have semi-structured interviews with participants from four different cultures (German, Arab, Japanese, Turkish), but just interviewed with Turks (n=14) and Germans (n=10) could be reached due to Covid-19. During these interviews, the participants were first asked their general evaluations of the dishes in different colors, then, evaluations were made about the use of black, white, red, yellow, purple and green colors in soup, pasta and hamburgers by using colorful food images. In general, the findings show that Germans are more open to experiencing different colors of food than Turks. However, it has been determined that colors such as black and purple are approached with a distance in both cultures, although the Germans are relatively more moderate. In soups, both cultures stay moderate to yellow, red, green and white colors, and stay away from purple and black; Germans have a more positive approach to all colors except yellow in pastas and hamburgers compared to Turks. In line with the findings obtained, suggestions for industry professionals and researchers were developed and these suggestions were presented in the conclusion section. Keywords: Gastronomy, Food Colors, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Turkey, Germany.