undesirable. In some puddings, flavoring and coloring substances are not
evenly distributed—when pieces of fruit are present, for instance—and
diffusion of these substances throughout the pudding during storage may be
detrimental for appearance and flavor. A good eating quality involves that
pieces of the pudding can readily be scooped with a spoon, and be
subsequently deformed or minced in the mouth to allow swallowing. Mouth
feel further includes physical inhomogeneity and (lack of) stickiness. Finally,
perception of flavor components depends on gel structure, although the
mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Of course, the properties
desired may vary among types of pudding.
FIGURE17.10 Illustration of three types of gel structure, highly schematic. The
dots in frame (a) denote the cross-links. Note that the scale may greatly differ.