Sweeten up your sweetheart on Valentine's Day with the charm of chocolate
MIAMI - The best way to sweeten someone up this Valentine's Day may be with a box of chocolates.
New research from scientists at the University of Leeds in England sheds light on why we find chocolate so seductive.
"We've been looking into the texture of the chocolates, lubrication or tactile sensation, rather than the taste," said head researcher Sia Soltanahmadi.
That melt in the mouth feeling led researchers to create an artificial tongue which cracked the code, revealing it all comes down to the chocolate's fat.
"It makes it smooth; it makes it slippery; it reduces the resistance," explained Soltanahmadi.
Scientists say that lubrication makes for a more enjoyable experience, and it doesn't come as a surprise to Melt Chocolates chief chocolatier, Paul Stradling.
"It's to do with that natural fat, the cocoa butter that's in there, and it's actually the only natural fat in the world that melts at body temperature," he said.
Researchers found that smooth sensation comes down to the location of the fat - not the amount.
"If you put more fats on the top surface of the chocolates, then we wouldn't need much fat in the body of the chocolates," said Soltanahmadi.
That got scientists wondering if you need fat at all. They're investigating if replacing some fat with protein could give the same texture and pleasurable feeling.
"It would be more nutritious for sure," said Soltanahmadi.
The possible change could let people indulge their love of chocolate without the love handles.
Researchers are also experimenting to see if tweaking the placement of fat could improve the nutritional content of other foods like ice cream, margarine, and cheese.