Recently, a Swiss cheesemaker played a variety of music to his cheeses. Why? He and scientists from Bern University of the Arts wanted to see if vibrating sound waves influenced the cheeses’ flavor as they aged. During the aging process, bacteria turn sugars into acids.
After the experiment, a group of food experts tested the cheeses and detected small differences in how they tasted. The cheese exposed to hip-hop, for example, had the strongest taste. But the researchers need further testing to confirm the findings—and make sure the results weren’t due to chance.