*2.1. Participants*

A total of 67 untrained participants (31 males and 36 females, 20–50 years old, originally from Asia, South America, Oceania, and Europe) were recruited voluntarily through Lincoln University intranet. All participants claimed that they were not allergic to the chocolate ingredients involved in this research. A brief introduction about products and sensory procedures was given first. According to Lincoln University Policies and Procedures, they were asked to complete the consent form regarding human ethics (approval: 2019-68) before tasting the chocolate products. Sensory sessions were carried out at the sensory laboratory located in the Replacement For Hilgendorf (RFH) building, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand. There were three sessions conducted on four consecutive days: one control session using sensory booths and two sessions using VR settings. The duration of each session was around 15 to 25 min per participant, and the order of the three sessions was randomized for each participant. Participants were asked to refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking for at least one hour before the sessions.
