Molecular Gastronomy

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In his well researched, intriguing and engaging article, Dr. Hervé This uses his expertise to explain molecular gastronomy to scholars and amateur readers, in a credible and trusting manner. As a Physical Chemist at The Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique at AgroParisTech, This researches the scientific components of cooking. Today, This remains the “father” of molecular gastronomy, making him a credible source to discuss this topic using the investigation of culinary processes through chemistry and physics. Contrastingly, in the credible article “Molecular Gastronomy: a Food Fad or Science Supporting innovative cuisine?” César Vega and Job Ubbink present similar information, but provide a much more in depth discussion of molecular gastronomy, rather than an overview like This. Vega possesses a PhD in food science, and a culinary degree from Le Cordon Blue which he uses today as a Research Scientist at Symbioscience (within the USA). Ubbink currently holds the position of a Senior Research Scientist at the Nestle Research Center in Switzerland, with a degree as a physical chemist and biophysicist. Arguing that molecular gastronomy adds to the division of food science that uses chemistry and physics to investigate culinary processes, This discusses the five main aims of molecular gastronomy: (1) Culinary Proverbs and Know-How, (2) Understanding Culinary Processes and Recipes, (3) New Products, New Tools, New Methods, (4) Inventing New Dishes, and (5) Science and the Citizen. Vega and Ubbink discuss the concepts, approaches and achievements of molecular gastronomy and emphasis their relation to the fields of food science and technology (375). Furthermore, Vega and Ubbink discuss several other subject matters listed under ...

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...nd of their articles, citing a number of sources like journals, books, and presentations. In addition, This encourages the continued research of molecular gastronomy, so that society can relate the culinary arts to the concepts of science, enabling the audience to further improve daily cooking practices. Ending their article Vega and Ubbink state that the impact of food on human health keeps growing in popularity, which in turn encourages food scientists to continue the research into this field to strengthen the creativity of healthy food and communicate the knowledge learned to society.

Works Cited

This, Hervé. “Molecular Gastronomy.” Angewandte Chemie International Edition 41.1

(2002): 83–88.

Vega, César and Ubbink, Job. “Molecular gastronomy: a food fad or science supporting

innovative cuisine?” Trends in Food Science and Technology 19 (2008): 372-382.

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