Creaminess

Creaminess is a textural characteristic that is hard to define, especially as it involves several of the senses—sight, smell, taste, and mouthfeel are all involved. It is possibly surprising to find sight on this list, but it is easy to demonstrate its effect. For example, a caramel that is matte and light-colored is perceived as being creamier than one that is smooth and dark-colored.

Creaminess is special in that the expression “creamy” is used to characterize many different types of food, yet its hallmark is that both food professionals and untrained tasters are mostly in agreement about whether something is creamy.