Scientists are discovering why we love chocolate so much

Science finally claims to have discovered the secret to chocolate – and why this is an obsession for so many. Forget the taste or the smell: Only the texture can grab us, according to a team of specialists from the University of Leeds in the UK.

Chocolate has a melt-in-your-mouth way that other sweets and savory foods just don’t. Scientists say the secret lies in the presence of a fatty layer covering the hardest center of the chocolate, which is oddly enough our mouths can’t get enough of.

In their investigation published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, the researchers analyzed the process that occurs when we eat chocolate, focusing on texture rather than taste. They found that the fats in the candy play a major role once it hits the tongue — what experts call the “chocolate feel.”

Then, cocoa solids are released which are also important for the sense of touch, so deep fat plays a limited role — and scientists believe it can be reduced without negatively affecting the overall experience.

“Whether the chocolate is 5% or 50% fat, it will still form droplets in your mouth and this will give you a chocolatey sensation,” said Anwesha Sarkar, a professor in the university’s College of Food Sciences and Nutrition. She added, “It is the location of the fat in the chocolate composition that is important at each stage of the lubrication, and this is rarely researched.”

more healthy?

The study suggests that all of this knowledge can be translated into healthy chocolate. The goal would be to recreate the sensation of melting in low-fat chocolate that is just as satisfying as higher-fat products.

The work is the first of its kind to study how chocolate interacts with our tongue during the first stage of swallowing, which scientists call the “licking process” or “solid lubrication of chocolate.” The researchers are now hopeful that their findings can be used with other products, such as ice cream, margarine, or cheese.