Revealed: The formula for the perfect burger - and why scientists say you should include one very unusual ingredient
- Scientists say the perfect burger is 2.7 inches tall and is eaten with the hands
- READ MORE: The great British scone debate is settled by scientists
Millions of Brits will be assembling what they believe is the perfect whopper today, in celebration of National Burger Day.
While meat and cheese are common choices, the addition of other ingredients can prove seriously controversial among households.
To settle the debate once and for all, scientists have revealed the formula for the perfect burger.
From the arrangement of the fillings and even how to eat it, a forensic approach to this beloved fast food can maximise enjoyment, they believe.
They say you should include one very unusual component – although this kitchen cupboard staple may send burger purists into a fury.
According to scientists, the perfect burger is 2.7 inches (7cm) tall with more aromatic elements placed at the top - and always eaten with the hands
Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, said the aromatic elements of a burger – namely the meat – should be nearer the top.
That's because aromas are mostly registered in the nose, while the five tastes – including salty, sour and umami – are picked up by the tongue slightly below.
Meanwhile, the ingredients that pack an umami punch – the cheese, fresh tomato and ketchup – should be at the bottom.
'The burger is perhaps the most popular food on planet,' Professor Spence told MailOnline.
'Ideally you want the tasty stuff to hit taste buds on the tongue and aromatic elements on top.'
Charles Michel, a Franco-Colombian chef and flavour researcher, said the perfect burger should be 2.7 inches (7cm) tall, which is enough to fit numerous layers in the mouth at once.
He opts for ingredients that give the most luscious mouthfeel, including camembert cheese, wagyu beef and fried serrano ham for extra crispiness.
Wagyu, one of the most expensive meat cuts in the world, comes from Japan and has distinctive fat marbling, giving it superb tenderness.
It's one of the most popular food items in the word, but the addition of some ingredients over others can prove seriously controversial among households (file photo)
Both Chef Charles Michel (left) and Professor Charles Spence (right) believe burgers should be eaten with the hands to enhance enjoyment
But Chef Michel – currently chief innovation officer at To'ak Chocolate – recommends one extra element that may be contended.
A few dashes of soy sauce on the bottom bun will get soaked up along with any residual meat juices and supercharge the umami punch, the chef claims.
Another essential, yet heavily-disputed inclusion is the gherkin, according to Professor Spence – his favourite ingredient 'given how divisive it is'.
With its mix of sweet and sour, the acidity of the gherkin helps cut through the rich umami notes of the cheese and tomato, as well as the meat, he claims.
What's more, the gherkin and crisp iceberg lettuce give the burger an added 'sonic crunch' when bitten into, with greater noise linked to enhanced satisfaction.
Professor Spence admits that gherkins are a divisive food in burgers, suggesting it's the frog-like surface that 'pickle-haters find so repulsive'.
'There can be few people out there who have fallen in love with the sight of the dimpled skin of the gherkin,' the academic said.
'It is perhaps just as well that the nobbly pickles tend to be hidden away in the middle of the bun.'
While many burger lovers will opt for a square slice of cheddar, camembert is a good option to maximize the runniness of the cheese when it melts.
'The protein-in-motion shot with energy dense cheese moving is gastroporn gold,' Professor Spence added.
With its mix of sweet and sour, the acidity of the gherkin also helps cut through the rich umami notes of the cheese and tomato (file photo)
Overall, getting as wide a range of colours into a burger can 'make what we eat look more attractive', from the yellow of the cheese to the green of the pickle and the red of the tomato.
Lastly, a burger should be eaten with the hands, and not off a plate with a knife and fork.
Chef Michel says paper wrapping instead 'holds the structure and maintains moisture and heat until the last bite'.
And as Professor Spence puts it, 'the first taste is with the hand', as the food we feel in the hands influences our perception in the mouth.
By bringing the whole burger up to our mouth to bite into it – rather than slicing morsels of it with cutlery – we are smelling and appreciating the whole thing with each morsel.
Interestingly, research also suggests that men find it attractive when women get 'stuck in' to their food by using their hands on a dinner date.
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