Food - Drink
You Shouldn't Pair Yogurt And Chocolate For A Strange Reason
By HEATHER LIM
Yogurt is often paired with sweet items like honey, jam, and fruit, but chocolate is a far less popular partner. There's a scientific reason why yogurt and chocolate don't mix.
The experience of topping yogurt with chocolate is disappointing. You can taste only the tartness of the yogurt, while the chocolate resembles flavorless bits of cocoa butter.
What causes this phenomenon is pH levels: Yogurt is acidic, while chocolate tends to be more basic. The acidity of yogurt ends up neutralizing the chocolate’s flavor.
Other sweet ingredients work with yogurt because of their high acidity. Honey, despite its sweet and earthy flavor, is an acidic ingredient that can complement yogurt’s sour notes.
Fruit toppings for yogurt, like berries and tropical fruits, are also acidic. Instead of neutralizing one another, the yogurt and the sweetness of the fruits are enhanced.
Even in savory contexts, yogurt works well with ingredients that have a lower pH. Tzatziki sauce uses both yogurt and lemon juice, with each complementing the other's tang.