McVitie's reveals the PROPER way to eat a Jaffa Cake (and it's NOT the famous 'half moon' technique where you eat it ...

McVitie's says nibbling around the edges first is the best way to eat the treats
They consulted flavour expert Dr Stuart Farrimond who says it is the tastiest way
In second place is the iconic 'half moon' technique enjoyed by 35% of the UK

By Imogen Blake For Mailonline

Published: 10:36 GMT, 2 March 2018 | Updated: 11:21 GMT, 2 March 2018

It was an iconic 90s TV advert which showed Jaffa Cake lovers how you could mimic the lunar cycle by biting into the chocolate-orange sponge to create a 'half moon' and a 'total eclipse'.

But McVitie's has now revealed that the classic Jaffa Cake-eating technique is not in fact the best way to enjoy the sweet treats.

Fans of the biscuit-sized cakes should instead nibble around the edges before eating the middle section containing the distinctive orange jelly, the biscuit and cake brand has stated after consulting with food scientist and flavour expert Dr Stuart Farrimond.

Most people in Britain (35 per cent) eat Jaffa Cakes using the 'Half Moon' technique (right) where you bite into it to create a crescent shape - but this isn't the right way, according to McVitie's. In fact, we should all be nibbling around the edges (left) as this gives a better flavour

What is the best way to eat a McVitie's Jaffa Cake?

1. All Rounder (eaten in this way by 28 per cent of Britons) - Eating around the edges before finishing with the middle segment containing the orange jam.

2. Half Moon (eaten by 35 per cent of UK) - Taking two bites, creating a 'half-moon' effect after the first mouthful.

=3. The Scoffer (eaten by 20 per cent) - Eating a Jaffa Cake in one go.

=3. The Jelly Lover (eaten by 6 per cent) - Eating the orange jelly from the top first.

Dr Farrimond used four scientific research methods - and a panel of hungry Jaffa Cake fans who munched through hundreds of the treats - to conclude that the so-called 'All Rounder' method is the best way to enjoy the chocolate-orange sponges.

In McVitie's newly published Zest Report into Britain's Jaffa Cake eating habits, Dr Farrimond stated that the nibble-round-the-edges technique gives an 'almost perfectly optimised balance of zesty orange, slightly bitter chocolate and sweet airy sponge'.

In scientific terms, this is called the 'hedonic breakpoint'.

But a study by McVitie's shows that only 28 per cent of the nation eats Jaffa Cakes in this way, with 35 per cent opting to eat the sponge in two bites: the so-called 'Half Moon' technique.

Jaffa Cakes first went on sale in the UK in 1927. Eating them in such a way as to recreate the lunar cycle became mainstream following the iconic Jaffa Cake advert of the 1990s in which a schoolteacher kept showing her class how to recreate the moon's changes by eating lots of the treats

However Dr Farrimond found that creating a half moon after taking one bite out of a Jaffa Cake was only the second-best way to eat a Jaffa Cake.

He said: 'We ran a panel of experiments to discover the best ratio of chocolate, orange jam and sponge.

'Given that the orange jam layer is pooled in the central segment of the Jaffa Cake, different eating styles will result in different combinations of these three layers in each mouthful.

'Whilst the most common way to eat a Jaffa Cake is the Half Mooner technique, our research concluded that the ‘All Rounder’ with the middle portion of the Jaffa Cake eaten as one, gives the optimum sweetness, taste and flavour.

'This can only be fully appreciated by nibbling the edge off first and then eating the middle portion alone.'

There are four main ways of eating Jaffa Cakes, according to McVitie's, including the All Rounder and Half Moon methods. The other two are The Scoffer - in which someone eats the treat in one go - and The Jelly Lover - where a Jaffa Cake fan eats the orange jelly first.

The Jelly Lover method is only used by 6 per cent of the UK's Jaffa Cake eaters.

What does your Jaffa Cake eating technique say about you?

McVitie’s also conducted research to reveal common personality traits against the four Jaffa Cake eating styles...

The All Rounder (Nibble around the edge, saving the best for last)

You’re determined, organised and thorough, and you don’t mind taking the time to make your experiences more enjoyable. You’re a pet lover and prefer going on luxury beach holidays over staycations or party holidays with friends.

The Half Moon (Full moon, half moon, total eclipse)

You’re imaginative, intellectual and insightful. Sport is not your thing – you prefer to read, but you were born to entertain those around you.

The Scoffer – (All in one)

You’re talkative, but you’re a straight talker and very trusting. You’re assertive and energetic. You love sport and live a fast-paced lifestyle.

The Jelly Lover - (Head straight for the orange jelly)

You’re sympathetic, kind, and affectionate. You’re musical and would prefer a staycation over travelling abroad. You’d enjoy a drink with Prince Harry, if you had the chance.

Let's block ads! (Why?)