Japan study finds coffee taste changes with cup texture - The Mainichi
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Cups of coffee, one in a rough sleeve, left, and the other in a smooth sleeve. (Kubo & Ariga, 2026, Multisensory Research)
TOKYO -- A Japanese research team has found that the way a cup feels in the hand can alter how coffee tastes, reporting that even changing just the texture of a cup sleeve affected the perceived acidity of the beverage.
Previous studies have shown that qualities including the color, shape and material of cups and glasses influence how people evaluate a drink's taste. However, it had been unclear how the sense of touch affects flavor, as previous research could not rule out visual or lip-related factors.
The team from Chuo University prepared two types of cup sleeves: a rough one made from sandpaper and a smooth one made from kraft paper. Each was wrapped around a cup filled with black coffee served at 68 degrees Celsius. Ninety-two blindfolded participants drank from each cup in sequence.
The results showed that participants who first touched the rough sleeve and then the smooth one were significantly more likely to perceive the second coffee as less acidic. In contrast, those who drank in the opposite order did not report any reduction in acidity.
A person takes a sip of coffee in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward in this file photo. (Mainichi/Toshiki Miyama)
According to the team, rough textures are mentally associated with "strong acidity," while smooth textures are linked to "mild acidity." Touching a smooth surface after a rough one evokes "mild acidity," which, combined with sensory adaptation that reduces the perception of acidity over repeated tastings, makes the drink seem less acidic. Conversely, when participants touched a rough sleeve later, the "strong acidity" association canceled out the adaptation effect, so acidity was not perceived as weaker.
Cognitive psychology professor and team lead Atsunori Ariga said, "This finding could lead to new ways of choosing cups or sleeves that bring out personal taste preferences. Carrying your own cup or sleeve could also promote environmentally conscious consumer behavior."
The study was published in the international academic journal Multisensory Research on June 3.
(Japanese original by Toshiyasu Kawachi, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)
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