The joys of grazing

The Guardian: 

“The commonest thing is delightful, if only one hides it,” wrote Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Perhaps this is why illicit fridge grazing – that slice of ham folded swiftly into the mouth and washed down with a glug of juice, straight from the bottle – is such a delightful pastime. “Don’t pick,” my mother used to tell me, shooing me out of the kitchen. But I live for picking – a habit that inspires disgust and irritation in equal measure.

When I cook, my chef’s tasting gets out of control because snatched morsels and licked spoons are too tempting. Everything tastes better in a sneaky forkful, consumed when passing the stove, fridge or cupboard. Entire jars of peanut butter can go in my house without ever seeing a slice of bread. And it’s not just about having an empty tummy. Even after a vast roast dinner I loiter in the kitchen, pretending to wash up, so that I may pick the carcass.

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Jonathan Schooler, professor of psychology and brain sciences at the University of California, sends me evidence (pdf) that “engaging in something that is secretive can enhance enjoyment.” The study is actually about romantic relationships, but there is definitely a covert thrill to this sort of eating, too. Picking a carcass or spooning jam into my mouth might appear gluttonous and unhygienic to an onlooker. It is also wasteful to chip away at ingredients that might otherwise have been sandwiched (perhaps literally) into another meal.

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Kent Berridge, professor of biopsychology at the University of Michigan, hazards that “perhaps being out of the context of sitting down to table, lets one focus with more awareness on the sensory treat.

Read the whole story: The Guardian