The stomach may be the underlying determinant when deciding whether or not a person is hungry, but the eyes tend to make the final decision on what a person is hungry for.
Smell, touch and taste all do generate cravings for specific foods, but sight may just be the strongest sense of them all when it comes to stimulation.
TasteSpotting.com is proof enough when it comes to testing visual temptation. The Web site offers thousands upon thousands of tantalizing pictures illustrating different foods, drinks and recipes. It also has enticing photos depicting other significant aspects of the culinary world like dining out, products, people, news and trends.
The photos provide a new, alternative way to shop for recipes by allowing viewers to see what they are attempting to make beforehand, as opposed to conventional cookbooks without illustrations.
Even though the site is visually driven, it’s not just a gallery of appealing pictures. By clicking on any of the photos, a link instantly transports viewers to additional information about whatever is illustrated.
The link attached to each photo can lead a viewer to original content, a recipe, a news article, a video, a product page in a catalog or a site’s detail page further describing the picture and its significance, the site says.
According to the Web site, TasteSpotting was “founded on the idea that people eat first with their eyes.” Sticking true to the belief, the site continuously stimulates the body part as it updates its material several times throughout the day.
TasteSpotting was launched in January 2007 and is run by a small group of individuals who call themselves “The Team,” the site says. But “The Team’s” members aren’t the only ones who contribute to the site. Its user community plays a heavy part in adding photos and information,, ultimately keeping the site alive and thriving off of those who benefit from it most.
Any person who registers with TasteSpotting is able to add to and be a part of the virtual potluck party, yet some guidelines and restrictions apply.
In order to get a submission published, there are three main factors to keep in mind — image, link and caption.
As long as the submission contains a high quality image of an interesting subject, a link that leads to additional, interesting information and a descriptive caption, then “The Team” may consider posting the suggestion.
If interested in food or cooking, whether or not someone wants to participate or be an observer, visiting TasteSpotting.com is worth adding to one’s to-do list.
Reach the reporter at sasha.malekooti@asu.edu.
