IUOAMC MCIJMaster Chefs International Journal
Editorial professional article — not peer reviewed

Maadarani Sensory Absence Theory (MTSA): An Innovative Framework for Expectation, Gap and Compensation in Tasting

From Missing Stimulus to Present Effect: The SAF-6 Model for Culinary Design and Sensory Judging

الشيف أحمد عصام المعدراني International Union of Arab Master Chefs Ltd (IUOAMC)
Conceptual culinary presentation illustrating sensory absence in the Maadarani theory.
Article code
MCIJ-2026-DB6E05B6
Received
2026-09-12
Accepted
—
Published
2026-09-12
DOI
Not assigned
WICP registration number
WICP-IP-2026-000001
Record integrity
SHA-256 3c8f8045b6ef32d61a...

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Abstract

Maadarani Sensory Absence Theory proposes that tasting is formed not only by the stimuli present in a dish, but by a dynamic relation among actual sensory presence, pre-tasting expectation, the gap perceived when an expected cue fails to appear, and any compensation that transfers the missing cue's function elsewhere. Absence may therefore be a technical defect, an act of sensory misdirection, or a deliberate design device that produces focus, surprise, rhythmic relief or meaning. This article operationally defines sensory absence, distinguishes it from ingredient omission, masking and ordinary crossmodal incongruence, and develops the six-axis Sensory Absence Framework (SAF-6): expectation, gap, intention, compensation, coherence and identity authenticity. It further proposes falsifiable hypotheses, a preliminary experimental protocol and professional applications in dish design and culinary judging. MTSA and SAF-6 are original conceptual formulations by Chef Ahmad Maadarani. The cited studies provide independent scientific context on expectation and multisensory perception; they are not presented as the source of MTSA.

sensory absenceflavour expectationexpectation gapmultisensory tastingculinary designsensory judgingSAF-6MTSAculinary innovation
Sensory absence moves culinary thinking from “What did I put in the dish?” to “What did I make the diner expect, and what happened when it did not arrive?” Omission becomes a decision, emptiness becomes a design material and expectation becomes a responsibility. MTSA and SAF-6 provide an initial vocabulary that can be taught, criticised, tested and refined. Their future strength will rest on clear experiments, replicable evidence and more accountable professional judgement.

Originality and rights statement

Chef Ahmad Issam Maadarani formulated MTSA and SAF-6 as a conceptual intellectual project open to development and testing. The studies listed below are independent scientific context and are not claimed as the origin of the theory or its terminology. This article does not claim final empirical proof or documented global priority over every related partial phenomenon. The text and formulation are reserved to the author under the institutional registration stated above.

References

  1. Yeomans, M. R., Chambers, L., Blumenthal, H., & Blake, A. (2008). The role of expectancy in sensory and hedonic evaluation: The case of smoked salmon ice-cream. Food Quality and Preference, 19(6), 565-573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2008.02.009
  2. Zampini, M., & Spence, C. (2004). The role of auditory cues in modulating the perceived crispness and staleness of potato chips. Journal of Sensory Studies, 19(5), 347-363. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-459X.2004.080403.x
  3. Morrot, G., Brochet, F., & Dubourdieu, D. (2001). The color of odors. Brain and Language, 79(2), 309-320. https://doi.org/10.1006/brln.2001.2493
  4. Rolls, B. J., Rolls, E. T., Rowe, E. A., & Sweeney, K. (1981). Sensory specific satiety in man. Physiology & Behavior, 27(1), 137-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(81)90310-3
  5. Schifferstein, H. N. J., Kole, A. P. W., & Mojet, J. (1999). Asymmetry in the disconfirmation of expectations for natural yogurt. Appetite, 32(3), 307-329. https://doi.org/10.1006/appe.1998.0208

Declarations and disclosures

Conflicts of interest
لا يوجد تضارب مصالح ذي صلة بمضمون المقال. / No relevant conflicts of interest declared. / Aucun conflit d'intérêts pertinent déclaré.
Funding
لم يتلق هذا العمل تمويلًا خارجيًا. / No external funding was received. / Aucun financement externe.
Ethics statement
مقال مفاهيمي لا يتضمن تجربة على بشر أو حيوانات ولا يعالج بيانات شخصية. / Conceptual article involving no human or animal experiment and no personal data. / Article conceptuel sans expérimentation humaine ou animale ni données personnelles.