How about a vegan dessert? : men and women's attitudes towards vegan desserts, and how the appearance of vegan desserts affects the experience

Abstract: Background: Women prefer to eat plant-based food more frequently than men. Previous studies show that there is a difference in what we eat depending on which gender we belong to. The experience of food can be influenced by various aspects such as colour, shape, serving, and food information. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate if there were any differences between men and women's attitudes towards vegan desserts. Moreover, four vegan desserts were developed using creative design and molecular gastronomy, to investigate how the colour and shape of vegan desserts affects the experience of taste, flavour and texture. Material and methods: To answer the research question, two focus group interviews were conducted. Moreover, a creative design containing an online cross-sectional survey was performed to develop four vegan desserts using molecular gastronomy. The desserts had the same ingredients in equal quantities, but they differed in colour and shape.These desserts were subsequently tested in a sensory evaluation. Results: The results show that there is a difference between men and women regarding attitudes towards a vegan dessert. Women are more positive and curious, while men are more sceptical whether a vegan dessert tastesgood. There was sometimes a significant difference in taste, but never in flavour and texture. Conclusions: There are differences in men and women's attitudes towards vegan desserts, where women are more positive than men. Shape may affect the experience of taste, but not of flavour and texture in this study.