crisps

In the wrong context (cinema, funeral) crinkly crisp bags are a barrier to snacking - so you’d think Walkers et al would be investing in quiet packs.

But no! Professor Charles Spence of Oxford University has shown the crinkle improves crisps. Volunteers reported they were ‘spongier’ when they couldn’t hear bag rustles, and fresher when they could.

Sound is crucial to our perception of quality, then. So for the best crisps, get the crinkliest bag you can find, and eat them while walking on a gravel driveway.