Eating a candy bar is a pleasure because of a rather complicated process, partly related to fat. By understanding it better, scientists may also have realized how to reduce the fat content, without reducing the pleasure.
How good it is to enjoy a piece of chocolate! At Christmas, at Easter, for a special occasion or at any time, this delicacy is a delightful gastronomic delight. But that’s not just because of the taste: the texture has a lot to do with it. It is not we who assert this, but science. Because yes, science is now very interested in chocolate.
American scientists to analyze Every step of the physical process is at work in the tasting chocolate bar. In doing so, they have one goal: To imagine a new form of tablet that will taste good, but be healthier.
Towards a “new generation of chocolate”
At the heart of the considered process: lubrication – or “lubrication”. When you bite into the bar, the sensation comes from the way the chocolate is greased (by cocoa butter for example). ” Fat comes into play almost immediately when a piece of chocolate comes into contact with the tongue », Explain The authors of this work. It is this fat that will gradually release the cocoa particles, the ingredient that has the most pleasant tactile sensation, and stick them to the taste buds. It serves as a “guide” to lead the ingredients, through saliva, to the correct destination.
For their experiment, the authors amassed a robotic mouth. They were able to observe that the layer of fat on the outside of the keel coats the tongue, which then interacts with the taste buds. The fat in the depth of the candy bar was not in direct contact with the tongue. This means that these deep fats do not directly contribute to tasting pleasure.
This is where, according to the authors, a key element in making these treats healthier—because fats aren’t very healthy—without diminishing the fun. ” It is the location of the fats in the chocolate composition that is important at each stage of the oiling process, and this aspect is seldom researched. They explain. Their study shows it The layer of fat should be on the outside of the chocolate, and that is what matters most (…). In short: it would be about reducing the fats that are so deeply present in delicious chocolate.
” We believe it is possible to develop a new generation of chocolate that delivers the same sensation as high-fat chocolate, while being a healthier option. say the authors.
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