Dunking biscuits in tea is nothing short of a science, as one wrong move could end with soggy biscuit sinking to the bottom of the mug and ruin an otherwise enjoyable experience.
Dr Helen Pilcher, who has a PhD in stem cell biology, found the “perfect dunking time” to avoid dropping the biscuit into the tea.
The study revealed that the average biscuit should absorb 20 percent of its original weight in liquid for the perfect dunk experience.
Milk Chocolate Digestives and Hobnobs are good for just over three seconds of dunking, while Penguin bars can last six and a half seconds. But be quick with Fruit Shortcakes and Ginger Nuts; they only take five to seven seconds before they might break.
Dr Pilcher, now working with McVitie’s as their “chief dunking officer”, says a Chocolate Caramel Digestive can be dunked for 40 seconds! She did this research so we don’t have to guess when dunking.
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This comes after a survey by McVitie’s showed we drop 83 snacks a year into our drinks.
Dr Pilcher explained: “The porosity of a biscuit makes it an ideal snack to soak up all the deliciousness. However, Brits are still susceptible to over-dunking their biscuits, which is why we’ve identified the Optimum Dunking Time. Respect the Dunking Danger Zone and we can save the nation from future dunking disasters.”
A survey of 2,000 biscuit lovers, conducted by OnePoll, revealed that Digestives are the top choice for dunking, followed by Chocolate Digestives and Rich Tea. The favourite drinks to dunk into are tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, but some also opt for milk or orange juice.
James King from McVitie’s UK and Ireland expressed his surprise at the results: “We were shocked to discover how many biscuits are being lost to dodgy dunking each week. We’ve appointed a chief dunking officer to save the Great British public from these dunking debacles.”
Here’s a quick guide to the perfect dunking times:
Ginger nuts: Dunk for 0.3 seconds, but beware after 7.3 seconds
Fruit shortcake: Dunk for 0.3 seconds, danger zone starts at 5.3 seconds
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Digestive: Dunk for 0.4 seconds, be careful after 11.2 seconds
Hobnobs: Dunk for 0.5 seconds, danger zone begins at 12.5 seconds
Rich Tea: Dunk for 0.6 seconds, caution needed after 8.8 seconds
Jaffa Cakes: Dunk for 0.6 seconds, danger zone starts at 9.2 seconds
Milk Chocolate Digestive: Dunk for 3.6 seconds, danger zone begins at 12 seconds
Milk Chocolate Hobnobs: Dunk for 3.7 seconds, caution needed after 19.5 seconds
Choc Caramel Digestive: Dunk for 5.0 seconds, danger zone starts at 40.1 seconds
Penguin: Dunk for 6.5 seconds, but beware after 54.0 seconds
*** An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.***
