Why is salted caramel so addictive?

Nom, nom, nom. Salted caramel is a more complex flavour that keeps us craving more of the delicious, sweet and salty delight.


Asked by: Dexter Middleton, Orpington

It’s official: we can never get enough salted caramel. A 2016 study at the University of Florida found that we eventually tire of foods that contain only one main recognisable flavour component – no matter how scrumptious. But the salty, sweet and fatty elements of salted caramel create a more complex taste that subtly changes with every bite, keeping our brains cravingmore and more. This is a phenomenon known as ‘hedonic escalation’.

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