Mum’s home cooking really DOES taste better than anyone else’s, a study has revealed – The Sun

HUNGRY Brits with a sweet tooth prefer a home-baked cake over a slice prepared by a swanky London hotel pastry chef, a study revealed.

While a taste of luxury at the Savoy’s award-winning restaurant may sound appealing – it turns out mum’s cooking takes the cake.

Researchers concluded the secret ingredient really is love.

A survey of 2,000 Brits was conducted by leading UK boffin, Charles Spence, on behalf of Lurpak.

During the experiment, volunteers were blindfolded and handed two identical cakes- one baked by a loved one and the other by a top pastry chef from London’s Savoy hotel.

Despite using the same ingredients and recipe, every single taster chose the home-baked treat.

Heart rates spiked, and smiles spread across the tasters faces after one bite of the cake made with love.

He said: “For this Taste Test, we used heart rate monitors, micro facial expression analysis and questionnaires to assess the emotional responses of the tasters in real time.

“It was great to see the tasters react so instantly to the tastes of the loved ones’ bakes, with their heart rates spiking and some lovely smiles of recognition appearing straight away.

“This demonstration illustrates what the science shows, namely that love is the secret ingredient in baking.

“What’s striking to me is how clearly it shows that taste is intrinsically linked to memory, emotion and ultimately, feelings of joy and love.

“The taste test demonstrates something universal – baking isn’t just about flavour or technique.

“It’s about the care and love that goes into it. That’s what people taste, and that’s what makes home bakes so special – and memorable.”

The research also found three-quarters of Brits have treasured memories of baking with parents or grandparents.

Meanwhile, one in three of those surveyed, insist their mum’s food tastes best, while 85 per cent say they always look forward to something their parents have made.

A further 40 per cent believe their other half’s food tastes better than anyone else’s.

And, resounding 90 per cent of those surveyed agree that food tastes better when it’s made by someone you love – with 28 per cent saying food cooked by their loved one reminds them of their childhood and 27 per cent noting it evokes happy memories.

Almost half of respondents (40 per cent) felt they bonded with their loved ones when baking together.

The survey also found 67 per cent love to cook recipes that have been passed down the generations.

In fact, half (52 per cent) even keep a dedicated family recipe book.

Catriona Mantle, Marketing Director at Lurpak, which commissioned the test, added: “Food lovers know there’s real joy in baking for someone you love. The ones who find joy in every swirl, every whisk, every golden rise.

“Good food deserves the best ingredients. Whether it’s mum’s birthday cake, your husband’s cookies, or grandad’s scones, those simple bakes just taste better.”

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