Would you like me to blow your mind right now? Yes? OK - well, Cadbury's Flakes don’t melt. Check it out:
Yep, believe it or not - try as you might, you can’t melt a Flake, as shown in the video above, but it will eventually burn if left in the microwave long enough.
The Flake-non-melting theory was really put to the test on YouTube channel Thompson STEM Engagement, who tried various methods to get the chocolate bar to melt, without success.
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Firstly, they kicked off with a microwave but after several minutes the Flake held strong - unlike its Dairy Milk contemporary, which melted as you’d expect in the heat.
Next up, a hot frying pan was used and once again, the normal block of chocolate melted while the piece of Flake remained as solid as ever.
Thirdly, was perhaps the most common chocolate melting method - a bain marie. But even being sat atop a pan of boiling water did little to change the structural integrity of our friend the Flake. Again, in case you’re wondering, the Dairy Milk control subject melted like a Solero on a summer’s day.
After trying several more conventional methods - the guys went slightly more left-field, whipping out a 2000C blowtorch and blasting the Flake, while safely held in a vice.
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Incredibly, despite the blistering temperature, the chocolate didn’t melt… although it did sort of catch fire and end up very badly singed.
So, by now, I guess we can safely say that Flakes don’t melt, but why? Well, it’s all to do with how a Flake is made.
Although a Flake is made of your usual milk chocolate, the way it’s made means it's composed slightly differently to your usual milk chocolate bar, Science Focus explains.
Put simply, a Flake’s manufacturing process means it has a different arrangement of fat and cocoa solids and so the melting fat isn’t able to adequately lubricate the cocoa particles to the point where they flow, like you see in other chocolate bars.
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The publication goes on to point out that: “In a bain marie, a Flake will never melt. In the microwave, it eventually just burns.” So there you go.
At this point, I feel I should say, as a bit of a warning, please don’t burn your house down attempting to melt a Flake at home. Just trust the experts, OK?
Topics: Weird, Food And Drink
Claire Reid