Try as they might, candy corn lovers may never be able to convince the haters. That’s because there could be a scientific reason behind the aversion to one of Halloween’s most divisive treats. For Food & Wine, flavor specialist Marie Wright broke down the science of how food evokes a psychological and physiological response. The way humans interpret smell, hold memories, and experience emotion all occur in the same part of the brain. So people often develop strong connections between them—particularly experiences tied to food and childhood. That could be one reason why we either love it or hate it. As for the physiology, Wright said candy corn’s cloying vanilla marshmallow flavor might be too much of a sugar rush without that hint of acid many other sweet candies contain; the acid triggers salivation and cuts into the saccharine. So, there. Now that we’ve introduced a bit of science, it’s settled. Right?
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