Texture has always been an important attribute of foods and beverages. In fact, for some consumers, an adverse texture is enough for them to reject a food even before tasting it. This is because we not only use the sense of feeling in our mouths, or mouthfeel, to assess a food’s texture, we also create expectations of texture by visually evaluating a food.

Two years ago on a wintry morning, my eldest son, then in fourth grade, woke up early and asked if I would make him pancakes. This was music to my ears so I did not even think twice about using the only box of pancake mix in the house: a sample of a new high-fiber product. Following the box directions, I made about two servings, figuring I would join him for a warm breakfast.