Eating chocolate is a unique sensory experience. It all starts with the nose. The subtle aroma of chocolate is composed of many volatile molecules that stimulate the olfactory receptors in the back of the nasal cavity. This generates the characteristic chocolate smell with its complex caramel, vanilla, fruity or spicy notes. The smell already heralds the pleasure and makes us start salivating…
The mouthfeel experience of chocolate comes from complex chemical and mechanical interactions. The melting temperature of cocoa butter – just below body temperature – is what makes this experience so special. After we bite on a chocolate bar, the chocolate will melt in the mouth smoothly, slowly releasing molecules onto the tongue together with volatile molecules into the nasal cavity as we breathe out. While the cocoa butter gently distributes the flavour around the mouth, the activation of taste receptors and other sensory receptors produces the mouthfeel. It is full, creamy and velvety.