Q&A: What’s the Purpose of Salt in Making Chocolate Bars?
January 12, 2015
Here's a question I recently received from a reader, "What's the Purpose of Salt in Making Chocolate Bars?"
Answer
Strange but wonderful things happen from a sensory perspective when small amounts of salt are added to chocolate.
First, and perhaps counter-intuitively, it makes the chocolate taste sweeter, not saltier.
Next, salt masks bitterness, so the chocolate tastes richer.
Your tongue’s taste receptors are responsible for these phenomena... In the presence of salt, the tongue is more sensitive to sweet, tricking your brain to believe the chocolate is sweeter when no additional sugar is added.
Pretty cool, huh?
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Course Facilitator at Chocolate University Online
Bryn worked for nearly 10 years in a research and product development for Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now she develops all of the CUO lessons and coaches the members of the Primal Chocolate Club.
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