Why Is This Chocolate Shimmering Like a Rainbow? - The New York Times

Earlier this month, Samy Kamkar shared his latest creation on Twitter: chocolate that shimmers like a rainbow.

Kamkar first considered making the iridescent effect on hard candy, but then decided that would be too easy.

It’s the surface texture of the chocolate itself that’s producing it.”.

The chocolate, when poured inside, adapted the inverse of this pattern on its surface.

Kamkar pressurized the chocolate in a vacuum chamber to prevent air bubbles from forming, though he says this step might not be necessary.

Kamkar’s cast chocolate, diffracted light becomes the dominant light that you see, creating iridescence.

Weitz noted that many insects and butterflies use a similar phenomenon of closely spaced, parallel lines to show off iridescent wings or bodies.

Weitz, a professor of physics and applied physics at Harvard, of the chocolate.

As long as the lines are uniform, parallel and spaced in proximity to the wavelength of light, any pattern will do, from straight lines to curves.

Swiss researchers have been collaborating to create a marketable iridescent chocolate for two and a half years.

The scientists’ next goal is to start a company, make more of the chocolate and sell it

He is working on a how-to video to share with people who want to make iridescent chocolate at home