Flavor: The World to Your Brain

round white ceramic plate filled with waffle
round white ceramic plate filled with waffle

Overview

Flavor is a sensory journey through our bodies and our world, designed and curated by food scientists and culinary anthropologists. Unpack what really happens in our heads when we experience the flavors of food, discover the ways flavor companies engineer and design the flavors that we eat almost every day, and learn what natural and artificial flavoring really mean. With millions around the world losing their senses of smell and taste due to COVID-19, Flavor is a timely look at the sensory experience that makes us love food and drink!

Exhibition supporters

Special thanks to Glen Whitney, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Goya, Midtown Equities, and Brooklyn Bridge Park for making this exhibition possible.

Museum of Food and Drink

55 Water Street, 2nd FlrBrooklyn, NY, 11201, United States

Exhibition Dates

February 2024 - August 2025


Museum of Food and Drink

55 Water Street, 2nd FlrBrooklyn, NY, 11201, United States

Exhibition Dates

February 2024 - August 2025


Museum of Food and Drink

55 Water Street, 2nd FlrBrooklyn, NY, 11201, United States

Exhibition Dates

February 2024 - August 2025


Highlights/Installation Images

Playing smell notes on the Smell Synth

Observing the effects of differnte types of food on the Brain Bloom machine

Everyone's brains responds differently to the foods they eat

All enter the Sensory Hall through the mouth

Audience members are asked to identify the five basic tastes

What is the difference between natural and artifical? Learn the history and find out who defined these terms we use today

Exhibition Highlights

Smell Synth Machine

A synthesizer that plays notes of smells instead of music? MOFAD's Smell Synth gives visitors a chance to experience smells in new ways, combining notes to create familiar smells and creating totally new ones.

Smell Synth Machine

A synthesizer that plays notes of smells instead of music? MOFAD's Smell Synth gives visitors a chance to experience smells in new ways, combining notes to create familiar smells and creating totally new ones.

Smell Synth Machine

A synthesizer that plays notes of smells instead of music? MOFAD's Smell Synth gives visitors a chance to experience smells in new ways, combining notes to create familiar smells and creating totally new ones.

Smell Synth Machine

A synthesizer that plays notes of smells instead of music? MOFAD's Smell Synth gives visitors a chance to experience smells in new ways, combining notes to create familiar smells and creating totally new ones.

Brain Bloom Machine

The brain is electric! And as synapses fire, they create electric pulses that can be measured as waveforms. MOFAD's Brain Bloom machine allows visitors to see how their brains respond to various foods by reading their brainwaves through EEH headsets while they snacked on different foods.

Brain Bloom Machine

The brain is electric! And as synapses fire, they create electric pulses that can be measured as waveforms. MOFAD's Brain Bloom machine allows visitors to see how their brains respond to various foods by reading their brainwaves through EEH headsets while they snacked on different foods.

Brain Bloom Machine

The brain is electric! And as synapses fire, they create electric pulses that can be measured as waveforms. MOFAD's Brain Bloom machine allows visitors to see how their brains respond to various foods by reading their brainwaves through EEH headsets while they snacked on different foods.

Brain Bloom Machine

The brain is electric! And as synapses fire, they create electric pulses that can be measured as waveforms. MOFAD's Brain Bloom machine allows visitors to see how their brains respond to various foods by reading their brainwaves through EEH headsets while they snacked on different foods.

Artificial vs Natural

What does it actually mean when a flavor is labeled articifial or natural? You may be surprised when you learn how and why the distinction is made. Is natural better than artificial? Learn the history of flavor and be the judge.

Artificial vs Natural

What does it actually mean when a flavor is labeled articifial or natural? You may be surprised when you learn how and why the distinction is made. Is natural better than artificial? Learn the history of flavor and be the judge.

Artificial vs Natural

What does it actually mean when a flavor is labeled articifial or natural? You may be surprised when you learn how and why the distinction is made. Is natural better than artificial? Learn the history of flavor and be the judge.

Artificial vs Natural

What does it actually mean when a flavor is labeled articifial or natural? You may be surprised when you learn how and why the distinction is made. Is natural better than artificial? Learn the history of flavor and be the judge.

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About

Contact Us

Visit

Plan your visit

Buy Tickets

Student Tours

Bloomberg Connects

What’s going on

Exhibitions

Programs

Get Involved

Work with us

Newsletter

Volunteer with us

Influencer Program

Membership

Donations

Membership

Social

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

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©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.

Stay updated on food culture with us

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

MOFAD

Home

About

Contact Us

Visit

Plan your visit

Buy Tickets

Student Tours

Bloomberg Connects

What’s going on

Exhibitions

Programs

Get Involved

Work with us

Newsletter

Volunteer with us

Influencer Program

Membership

Donations

Membership

Social

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

TikTok

©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.

Stay updated on food culture with us

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

MOFAD

Home

About

Contact Us

Visit

Plan your visit

Buy Tickets

Student Tours

Bloomberg Connects

What’s going on

Exhibitions

Programs

Get Involved

Work with us

Newsletter

Volunteer with us

Influencer Program

Membership

Donations

Membership

Social

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

TikTok

©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.