FYI: Why Does Cheese Taste Better When It's Melted?
Why So Delicious? Annabelle Breakey/Getty Images It's largely about how it feels in the mouth. Once a piece of cheddar has been heated to around 150°F, the matrix of milk proteins that provide its structure begins to break down, and the cheese takes on a creamy texture that many people find appealing. What defines creaminess, and why do people find it so appetizing? That's a mystery. But a group of scientists based in the Netherlands, using experimental vanilla custard, found that the dessert's creaminess depends on factors including its viscosity, homogeneity, and texture and surface appearance. One of the scientists, René de Wijk of Wageningen UR's Food & Biobased Research division, says test subjects were especially inclined toward custards that produce lower friction in the mouth. The same factors may apply to cheese, de Wijk says. Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen,...