Revealed: The formula for the perfect burger and why scientists say it should include a very unusual ingredient

Millions of Brits will be preparing what they consider the perfect Whopper burger today to celebrate National Burger Day.

While meat and cheese are common choices, the addition of other ingredients can be highly controversial in households.

To settle the debate once and for all, scientists have revealed the formula for the perfect burger.

From the arrangement of fillings to how to eat it, a forensic approach to this beloved fast food can maximize enjoyment, they believe.

They say you have to include one very unusual ingredient, although this kitchen cupboard staple can make burger purists furious.

Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, said the aromatic elements of a burger, namely the meat, should be closer to the top.

This is because aromas are primarily recorded in the nose, while the five flavors (salty, sour and umami) are captured on the tongue, a little further down.

Meanwhile, the ingredients that provide an umami touch (cheese, fresh tomato and ketchup) should be at the bottom.

“The burger is perhaps the most popular food on the planet,” Professor Spence told MailOnline.

‘Ideally, tasty foods should reach the taste buds on the tongue and aromatic elements should reach the surface.’

Charles Michel, a Franco-Colombian chef and flavour researcher, said that the perfect burger should be 7cm high, which is enough to fit several layers in your mouth at once.

Opt for ingredients that provide the most delicious mouthfeel, including camembert cheese, wagyu beef and fried serrano ham for a crispier texture.

Wagyu, one of the most expensive cuts of beef in the world, comes from Japan and has distinctive fat marbling that gives it excellent tenderness.

But Chef Michel, now director of innovation at To’ak Chocolate, recommends an additional element that may be debatable.

A few drops of soy sauce on the bottom bun will soak up any residual meat juices and enhance the umami flavor, the chef says.

Another essential, if much-debated, inclusion is the gherkin, which Professor Spence says is his favourite ingredient “given how controversial it is”.

With its mix of sweet and sour, the pickle’s acidity helps contrast the rich umami notes of the cheese and tomato, as well as the meat, she says.

What’s more, the pickle and crunchy iceberg lettuce give the burger an extra “sonic crunch” when you bite into it, and more noise is associated with greater satisfaction.

Professor Spence admits that pickles are a controversial item on burgers, suggesting it is the frog-shaped surface that “pickle haters find so repulsive”.

“There are very few people who have fallen in love with the sight of the dimpled skin of the pickle,” the academic said.

‘Perhaps it’s fortunate that pickles tend to be hidden in the middle of the bread.’

While many burger lovers opt for a square slice of cheddar, camembert is a good choice to maximize the fluidity of the cheese when it melts.

“Protein on the go with energy-dense cheese on the go is gastroporn gold,” Professor Spence added.

In general, including as wide a range of colors as possible in a burger can “make what we eat look more appealing,” from the yellow of cheese to the green of pickles and the red of tomatoes.

Finally, a burger should be eaten with your hands, not directly from a plate with a knife and fork.

Chef Michel says the paper wrapper, on the other hand, “maintains the structure and preserves moisture and heat until the last bite.”

And as Professor Spence says, “the first taste is felt with the hand,” since the food we feel in our hands influences our perception in the mouth.

By bringing the entire burger to our mouths to bite into (rather than cutting it into pieces with cutlery), we smell and appreciate the entire food with each bite.

Interestingly, research also suggests that men find it attractive when women focus on food using their hands during a dinner party.