Asked by: Dexter Middleton, Orpington

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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 craving more and more. This is a phenomenon known as ‘hedonic escalation’.

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Authors

luis villazon
Luis VillazonQ&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.

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