Science of Cooking: Ask the Inquisitive Cooks! (2024)

FAQs

What is the science behind cooking food? ›

Conduction: direct contact with a heat source, such as in a cooking pan. This is generally directional, and it helps you sauté scallops or sear steak, for example. Convection: heat transfer via air or water. This happens in an oven and is more even in nature, meaning your roast beef gets warmed all the way around.

The relevance of connective tissue to cooking is that collagen dissolves in hot water, so less tender cuts where connective tissue is well developed benefit from cooking with moisture. In contrast, fibers of elastin are not tenderized by moist heat, and therefore remain tough.

Chemistry and cooking go hand in hand – cooking is chemistry. Think about it: when you're heating up your food, you're killing harmful bacteria and microorganisms. When you add spices or transform ingredients in any way, shape, or form, this is a chemical process. You may not realize it, but chemistry is cooking!

What is Food Science? Food science draws from many disciplines, including biology, chemical engineering, and biochemistry to better understand food processes and improve food products for the general public. As the stewards of the field, food scientists study the physical, microbial, and chemical makeup of food.

molecular gastronomy, the scientific discipline concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking.

All cooking is scientific in nature, but with baking there is a very specific scientific interplay between ingredients.

The basic physics principles behind cooking can be phase transformations, Thermal conductivity, specific heat and thermal diffusivity. The phase can be considered as a physically separable portion of matter or a region of matter where unique properties exist.

While foods are processed or cooked at high temperature, a chemical reaction occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars which generate different flavours and brown colour (Figure 1). So it is often used in food industry for giving food different taste, colour, and aroma.

Some of the beef cuts highest in collagen are oxtails and shanks. While these will break down when braised, these smaller cuts are not ideal for pot roast. Other cuts with higher collagen content are chuck roast, brisket and the bottom round.

At what temperature does fat melt? ›

Fats are crucial to meat texture. Waxy when cold, fats start to melt around 130°F to 140°F, lubricating muscle fibers just as they are getting tougher and drier from the heat. Fat does not evaporate like water when you are cooking.

To keep track of a low and slow cook, you really need a thermometer, and you need a thermometer that you can leave in your food. Collagen dissolution really gets going starting at about 170°F (79°C). But as it takes a long time for those helixes of protein to unwind, it's better to get the temperature a little higher.

Molecular gastronomy is the scientific approach of cuisine from primarily the perspective of chemistry.

The Maillard Reaction: The Secret to Flavorful Browning

One of the most crucial chemical reactions in cooking is the Maillard reaction. This reaction occurs when proteins and sugars in food are exposed to high heat, resulting in browning and the development of complex flavors and aromas.

Food science is the study of the physical, biological (including microbiological) and chemical makeup of food.

Food chemistry is one of the fields involved in the multi-disciplinary field of food science. It is the study of food components, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and water. In addition, food chemistry assesses the reactions these components go through during food processing and preservation.