Cooking Science And Technology Essay

Cooking, Science, and Technology; 2016

Harvard University has been brought together professors and cooking experts to explain the science of cooking. This has gotten the attention of many chefs around the world, and has sparked a new interest amongst different groups such as; scientist, future chefs, foodies, and others alike. Cooking has been around for centuries; however, recently there has been a major change on how we perceive the way we cook. In the following essay, it will discuss what is cooking, how science can explain the process of cooking, and how new innovative technologies have inspired chefs, to move away from traditional techniques, to newer ones.

Cooking has been around for centuries; thus, humans have always exceled in being

Imagine preparing food in the Andes of Peru vs. Southern California. A higher pressure in the Andes of Peru equals to higher boiling point, just as, cooking at sea level in Southern California is equal to a lower boiling point. Therefore, when boiling pasta, the pressure significantly affects the preparation process. Pasta cannot be overcooked with a higher boiling point, otherwise the texture and the flavor is altered in the process. When overcooked, it turns into a mush and releases more the flavors found in pasta, thus not balancing with the paired flavors of the sauce. This is a very good example of Gastrophysics; the “emerging new scientific and molecular-based (sub) discipline that borderlines between soft- matter physics and chemistry, culinary sciences, and food chemistry.” (Culinary Science in Denmark: Molecular Gastronomy and Beyond, 2013) Pressure alteration is just one of the few factors that affects cooking, but how to manipulate cooking with technology. Consider the pressure pot, which is used to cook beans a lot quicker. What would normally take two hours to cook can now be reduced to forty-five

The heat source originates from the technology, which heats up the water, and then transferred to the vacuumed meat pouch. This technique allows meats to be cooked evenly, and it also allows the preservation of what makes up its substance. The other technological device used by Roca, is the rotary evaporator. This technology distils and extracts the essence of various herbs and substances. Chef Joan Roca uses this in a very innovative way. He creates a dish in which flavor is extracted from earth itself. He creates an earthy dish that invokes the Spanish landscape. As crazy as it may sound, it is something we are able to do now with high tech devices, compared to a few centuries