There is another reason why processed food is so appealing to our information-hungry brain. We get excited not only by tasting food, but by feeling it, too, and one of the greatest sensations is a mix of textures called dynamic contrast. This is a recipe well known to good cooks. Made some gazpacho? Toss some croutons on top of the soup after you’ve ladled it into a bowl, and you’re creating a dynamic contrast between the liquid and the crunch. It increases the information sent to the brain and heightens the arousal.
