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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

Chocolate coats tongue to give melt-in-mouth sensation, study finds

A woman holding a bar of chocolate
The scientists used a luxury brand of dark chocolate and an artificial tongue that has a 3D-printed tongue-like texture. Photograph: ONOKY/Photononstop/Alamy

The irresistible melt-in-the-mouth sensation of chocolate comes down to the way it lubricates the tongue, according to scientists.

A study investigated the physical process by which a solid square of chocolate morphs into a smooth emulsion. It found that chocolate released a fatty film that coats the tongue, giving a smooth sensation for the entire time it is in the mouth.

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