AN OXFORD food scientist has claimed he has invented the world’s perfect burger recipe but it could set you back a whopping £200.

Charles Michel, a visiting lecturer at Oxford University’s department of experimental psychology, created his mouth-watering meal in the belief that smell and touch are more important than taste.

The “perfect burger” is designed to stimulate all five senses and is based around a patty of Wagyu beef seasoned with barbecue sauce, salt, pepper and finely chopped onion.

Wagyu beef is a meat which originated in Japan and has a high percentage of unsaturated fat.

The 7cm tall finished product includes Chipotle sauce, which Mr Michel said triggers endorphins in our brains to generate pleasure, Camembert, Serrano ham and two splashes of soy sauce.

James Reilly, owner of Atomic Burger in Cowley Road, said: “It seems like a very expensive burger, you would pay £200 for a fillet of Wagyu beef.

“I completely agree with him that a burger is not just about taste.

“I think enjoying the five senses is something any good restaurant will do anyway. The feel and smell of a burger is very important.”

Mr Reilly said he would like to offer a version of the burger, which may cost less than £200, as his restaurant’s special in October.

But he also sounded a word of warning about how specific Mr Michel’s recipe was, such as his suggested one slice of vine-ripened tomato.

Mr Reilly said: “A single slice of tomato will give you tomato lip, which means you can bite into it and pull back and get a big slice of tomato against your face.”

Mr Michel, who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, is chef-in-resident and researcher on flavour perception at Oxford University’s crossmodal research laboratory.

His research led him to believe the perfect burger is based 30 per cent on smell, 25 per cent on touch, 15 per cent on sound, 15 per cent on vision and 15 per cent on taste.

He said: “Science has shown that deliciousness is a perception created by our brains with stimulation coming from all the senses, and not only a sensation happening in our mouth.

“We actually ‘taste’ food with all of our senses and it is scientifically inaccurate to just think about the taste of foods when discussing deliciousness.

“Imagine how disappointing a burger would be without hearing the crunch of the crispy bacon, lettuce or gherkin.”