Custard Taste is Long-Lasting - Study

A layer of custard can remain in the mouth and continue to release its flavour for up to four minutes. The thicker the layer, the stronger the effect seems to be.

12/02/09 The taste and sensation of custard (a sweet, typically Dutch luxury dessert) can remain in the mouth for several minutes, according to an article in Food Hydrocolloids by Dr René de Wijk of the Agrotechnology & Food Sciences Group at Wageningen University. The overall impression among consumers was that the enjoyment of food quickly dispersed after swallowing. But Van Wijk’s study found that it actually remains active in the mouth long afterwards.

A layer of custard can remain in the mouth and continue to release its flavour for up to four minutes. The thicker the layer, the stronger the effect seems to be. Dr de Wijk thinks it’s remarkable that so little research has been done on the traces that food leaves behind in the mouth, which he thinks are crucial to the whole eating experience. When making low-fat desserts, it’s therefore important to know how to create a thicker layer so that people can still enjoy the flavour they associate with such foods.