Why do so many foods have a ‘chicken’ flavour, when the flavour tastes nothing like chicken?

Question

Why do so many foods have a ‘chicken’ flavour, when the flavour tastes nothing like chicken?

In: Other

Answer 1

“Chicken flavor” is largely marketing – if the *idea* of chicken is put into your head, then your brain is prepped to interpret the flavor as “chicken”.

In reality, most “chicken flavor” is usually made from salt, garlic, salt, parsley, salt, glutamate or soy isolates for a “roasty”/”meaty” flavor, and salt, with some coloring added to make it “look right”.