How food makes you feel happy

How food makes you feel happy?

We all love going out for dinner, having family and friends around for lunch, and even attempting the unimaginable with a barbeque or picnic. But what makes us want to do this? Are you a person who enjoys the company and the lovely surroundings? Is it how your food looks? Or, do you simply love to stuff your face with good wholesome ingredients?


More often than not, it’s the combination of all four. But we wanted to tell you how food itself could make you happy, from tantalizing the taste buds, to the food that contains endorphin, fuelled chemicals. Even ingredients that you wouldn’t quite expect have the ability to put a big smile on your face. And all of the ones we have chosen to highlight are healthy, natural and preservative free.


Perfecting the five basic tastes

According to Wikipedia “there are between 2000 and 5000 taste buds that are located on the back and front of the tongue.” Source:


Pickles, relishes and chutney should include the five tastes to make the taster feel more satisfied and food content.  The joy of an excellent pickle, chutney or relish is that they are meticulously designed to offer the full taste sensation. That is, they create all of the five basic tastes in one bite  – sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness and umami (pungent).


Take for example, our award winning Cumberland Pickle. It includes a combination of tangy pickles to deliver a sour taste. The vegetables, dates and sultanas provide a natural sweetness. The mustard seeds and mustard powder brings bitterness to the table, and our refined recipe of spices and seasoning produce a gentle heat, saltiness and pungency. All of which are balanced to perfection, so that every bite stimulates the taste buds to their optimum and send happy receptors to the brain. Pair these with cooked meats, cheeses and breads, and you have a completely balanced meal in terms of complimentary tastes, and one very happy palate.


It is so important for us to have fun and create some wonderful combinations, always using the five basic tastes that make our pickles, chutneys and relishes taste so delicious.


However, we know that taste isn’t everything. The smell, texture and subtle heat are also important elements in making you smile and raising those endorphins, the happy chemical in your brain. And no one can deny that the smell coming from a newly opened jar of good quality chutney is enough to make you reach for a spoon immediately, or that the chunky, yet smooth texture can be so satisfying. For some, heat can be a little hard to handle, but that can make you happy too.


Heat equals happiness


According to there is a chemical in spicy food known as capsaicin, which makes them hot. When it touches your tongue, the body registers the feeling as pain. This initiates the release of endorphins, giving you an overall feeling of pleasure.




And LifeHack backs this up: “When you eat something spicy the capasicin attaches itself to the pain receptors in the mucous membrane of your mouth and nose. Subsequently, the brain is told that it’s in pain, so it releases endorphins.”



That’s why, if you love hot sauce with your meal – like our Flying Monkey Chilli Sauce, which gives a subtle kick to a dish and our Weaper Reaper Chilli Sauce, which packs more of a powerful punch – you’ll feel happier by the time you are finished. Maybe that’s why customers love our signature Wasabi Mayonnaise so much?


Ingredients that get you in high spirits

When you think of happy food, you immediately think of chocolate. There is a reason why we go to our favourite bar to cheer us up, and that’s because it contains called N-acyclethanoloamine, which send messages to the brain, that again releases endorphins. Some everyday ingredients can give you this too.



For instance, apples deliver a calming effect, as does pineapple and mango. Yes, fruits give you more energy and can improve overall happiness. And this is what the smart people at the British Journal of Health Psychology are saying. In fact there are several studies suggesting that fruit and vegetables are not only good for your physical health, but can also improve mood and actually reduce symptoms of depression.


Pickles, chutneys and relishes are all fruit and vegetable based, so we love the fact that our products can add a little extra bit of happiness to your lunch, dinner or even breakfast.



Then there is turmeric. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is documented to enhance your mood and fight depression. We are not surprised; the beautiful colour of turmeric is enough to make anyone joyful.


Curcumin is also known to release some neurotransmitters within the brain mainly dopamine. According to, “dopamine is associated with the pleasure and reward systems within the brain, which lead to feelings of enjoyment and motivation.”




Find out more about Tumeric and Curcumin here:


There are also studies to suggest that curcumin has an effect on the levels of serotonin. When serotonin levels are low, commonly caused by lack of sleep, we are at higher risk of developing depression. It is believed that turmeric offers a safe means of raising levels naturally. Why is that relevant? Well, Piccalilli and Surinamese Pickle get the vibrant yellow colour from somewhere.

So when you are thinking about a your next meal, think about what food will give you the feel good factor, and why.

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