3 August 2026 13:36 (UTC+04:00)Laman Ismayilova Read moreA portion of French fries secretly taken from someone else's plate may seem more enjoyable than the same fries received in an ordinary way, according to a study summary published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, AzerNEWS reports. The study, led by Valentin Skryabin, explored how the emotional context surrounding food can influence people's perception of taste. According to the publicly available abstract, the experiment involved 120 volunteers who were given identical portions of French fries under different conditions. Participants received fries in several situations: through a normal serving process, as a gift from another person, or by secretly taking fries from someone else's plate. Source:Based on the abstract of Valentin Skryabin's study, "Stolen fries are spicier than justice: How covert larceny enhances taste," published in Food Quality and Preference (2026).