The Elements
At the molecular gastronomy session of the Euro Food Chemistry meeting in Paris, August 2007, which marked the first time that molecular gastronomy was included as a symposium topic at a scientific conference, it was dissected into
The technical component makes reference to craftsmanship (repetition, tradition, well-executed work), whereas the artistic component refers to more creative aspects (innovation, creativity, expression of beauty).
- the technical part of cooking, i.e., the science behind recipes (applying the concepts of precisions, referring to details in a recipe, and definitions, referring to the main points in a recipe)
- the artistic component of cooking
- the social component of cooking
The technical component makes reference to craftsmanship (repetition, tradition, well-executed work), whereas the artistic component refers to more creative aspects (innovation, creativity, expression of beauty).
The Scientific Method
Hervé This postulated that the science of cooking should be hypothesis-driven and focus on fundamental insights and mechanisms specifically relevant for cooking. Another important aspect of a scientific approach to cooking is that its practitioners should aim to understand the vision of chefs on ingredients and food, even though they are usually nonscientific and sometimes irrational, to be able to communicate with the chefs, and to be able to translate scientific concepts into practical guidelines.
Molecular gastronomy is characterized by the utilization of the scientific method to better understand and control the molecular, physiochemical, and structural changes that occur in foods during their preparation and consumption. The scientific method is characterized by careful observation, hypothesis formation and testing, controlled experimentation, scientific objectivity, and experimental reproducibility. |
I think it is a sad reflection on our civilization that while we can and do measure the temperature in the atmosphere of Venus we do not know what goes on inside our soufflés. - Nicholas Kurti
Harold McGee in his book “The Curious Cook”, described how the cooking time of a steak should depend on the thickness of the steak and the form (cube or cylindrical for example), using results of heat-transfer equations, while subsequently, these relations are experimentally tested in the kitchen.
Chefs who are involved in experimental cuisine are not necessarily aware of the scientific principles that underpin the novel dishes that they are creating. Instead, it is the scientific approach in molecular gastronomy that may provide information that chefs can use to better understand the processes occurring during the creation and preparation of foods.
Basics of Molecular Gastronomy
To first understand molecular gastronomy scientifically, we first need to understand the colloidal system.
A colloid is a material composed of tiny particles of one substance that are dispersed, but not dissolved, in another substance. The mixture of the two substances is called a colloidal dispersion or a colloidal system. The table show beside displays some of the prominent everyday colloids.
Understanding colloids, though, is merely scratching the surface. Molecular gastronomists take advantage of other scientific principles to prepare world-class dishes.
More complex methods are:
Spherification, Flash Freezing, Liquid Nitrogen, Vacuum Machines, Syringes, and more!
A colloid is a material composed of tiny particles of one substance that are dispersed, but not dissolved, in another substance. The mixture of the two substances is called a colloidal dispersion or a colloidal system. The table show beside displays some of the prominent everyday colloids.
Understanding colloids, though, is merely scratching the surface. Molecular gastronomists take advantage of other scientific principles to prepare world-class dishes.
More complex methods are:
Spherification, Flash Freezing, Liquid Nitrogen, Vacuum Machines, Syringes, and more!