Which Smell Looks Strongest? Visual Aroma Symbols and Food Perception in Digital Gastronomy

Digital food images cannot transmit real aroma, but visual aroma symbols may help communicate expected smell, freshness, and eating appeal. This repeated-measures visual perception study compared black visual aroma symbols applied to a digital pasta bolognese image. After exclusion of one pilot/test response, 366 participants evaluated one no-symbol control image and 14 visual aroma-symbol conditions; no real odour was presented. Repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) accounted for the repeated evaluations made by each participant. Participants rated suitability, perceived smell strength, perceived smell pleasantness, willingness to eat, image-evoked hunger, and image-evoked fullness. The visual aroma-symbol condition was significantly associated with suitability, perceived smell strength, perceived smell pleasantness, willingness to eat, and image-evoked hunger, but not image-evoked fullness. Symbol 1 had the strongest overall positive rating profile, followed by Symbol 7 and Symbol 11. More ambiguous or irregular designs had weaker profiles and were more often associated with confusion or less pleasant smell meanings. The findings describe self-reported responses to complete visual aroma-symbol designs; they do not demonstrate real odour perception, actual food choice, ordering behaviour, sales conversion, or consumption. Future studies should examine colour, animation, directionality, food category, cultural context, real odour delivery, eye tracking, biometric responses, and behavioural outcomes.