In meat, describes lean muscle interlaced with fine streaks and flecks of intramuscular fat, resembling marble stone. Marbling melts during cooking, basting the meat from within and delivering tenderness, juiciness, and rich flavour; it is a primary quality grade criterion for beef in Japan, the United States, and Australia. In pastry and cake making, marbled describes batters or doughs of two contrasting colours swirled together to create a marble pattern when baked, as in marble cake. Both uses celebrate the visual and sensory appeal of mingled elements, whether fat through muscle or chocolate through vanilla sponge.