Chocolate is not a love potion. When it was difficult to check facts quickly online, people used to believe that chocolate contained chemical substances that make people feel good. However, this is not true. Chocolate contains a substance called phenylethylamine (PEA), which acts as a stimulant in humans. But it's too little to be effective. In 2005, an Italian research team found that 1kg of chocolate contained only 3mg of PEA. This is because the PEA amount is reduced in the process of making chocolate. Eating chocolate does not allow PEA to enter the brain. Most PEA is simply metabolized and disappears without much effect on the body.

Then, why do we love chocolate? It’s because chocolate gives us a special feeling in the mouth. A renowned food psychologist Paul Rozin proved this in a study in 1994. He made participants, at the onset of their chocolate craving, consume either of six -- milk chocolate, white chocolate, cocoa powder capsules, white chocolate plus cocoa powder capsules, a placebo pill, or only water. The results showed that white chocolate had the closest effect to milk chocolate. White chocolate contains no chocolate components other than fat. However, white chocolate satisfied the participants' cravings up to 69 percent. On the other hand, the cocoa powder capsules did not satisfy their craving. This shows that there are no special ingredients in chocolate. The physical trait of chocolate that melts in your mouth is special.

Chocolate’s special trait comes from fat. This is what scientists at the University of Leeds in the U.K. found in January this year. The research team analyzed the melting process of chocolate in the mouth, step by step. First, lubrication where the chocolate melts by itself or is mixed with saliva is important. At this moment, fat plays a crucial role. After that, solid chocolate particles melt and stimulate the tactile sensation. After the fat on the surface melts, the cocoa solids take over and tickle the mouth. By applying this principle, scientists expect that chocolate with significantly lowered fat content while maintaining the satisfaction of physical properties will be developed. Simply put, if we put a fat layer covering the surface of chocolates and add cocoa solids to the inside, we can make low-calorie but delicious chocolate.

Let’s not complain that this scientific explanation ruins our romance with chocolate. It is human nature to be wanting to believe chocolate is a love potion. Although what scientists have discovered isn't the case, that’s okay. Human beings can be satisfied and delighted with the physical properties of chocolate that just melts in the mouth. It's the same when you feel better looking at the snow in the winter and see sprouting when the snow melts. You don't have to measure efficacy. If the food is delicious, that alone is enough to make life enjoyable.

Jeong Jae-hoon is a food writer and pharmacist. He covers a variety of subjects, including trends in food, wellness and medications. This column was originally published in Korean in Joongang Ilbo on Feb. 1, 2023. – Ed.