Chemistry of Food and cooking "The chemistry of ice cream"
How can we measure the qualities and desirability of a finished recipe both quantitatively and qualitatively in order to determine the success of our recipe experimentation?
When it comes to measuring the success of a recipe, there are many factors that play a role. Common attributes that are used as a qualitative measurements are things like the taste and more specifically, whether or not it’s sweet or salty, spicy or dull or even the amount of flavor that affects the tastebuds. In addition, the consistency, the texture, the temperature etc are all measurements of the quality the food stands at. All of these factors are considered as dependent variables because they rely on the ingredients and the quantity of the ingredients that are used in the recipe.
This leads us to quantitative measurements within a recipe and how the significance of its amount is crucial to the success of a recipe. An easier term for quantitative information in regards to cooking is simply the same as the measurement of each ingredient (cups, ½ cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc). Measuring the quantitative qualities in a recipe is necessary for success because it provides us with the perfect ratio where all standards of perfect food are met. An example of this is, in regards to my own project, is how the measurement of sugar can drastically affect both the taste and consistency of ice cream. Between three measurements of sugar for three different trials of ice cream, being 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup of sugar and ¾ cup of sugar, it’s concluded that ¾ was the best ice cream overall. This is because the recipe provided enough sugar so that the ice cream was still chewy but it was also the perfect sweetness. 1 cup of sugar in the ice cream provided a good consistency but it was too sweet and ½ cup of sugar didn’t have a chewy consistency and failed to encompass the perfect amount of sweet. This is an example of how quantitative measurements determine the overall success of recipes.
In what way(s) is cooking like doing science and in what way(s) are they different? How are a cook and a food scientist similar or different?
Science is in everything. Cooking is a great example of another way in which science can be interpreted outside of the chem lab. If you think about it, food is directly connected with chemistry. When meat is cooked, it undergoes a chemical reaction. It changes color and size while also undergoing complete transformation on the inside. Protein molecules begin to split apart and the water content evaporates because of the added heat. Even when we boil noodles, they undergo a chemical reaction in which the molecular structure of the starch inside the noodle changes which brings the noodle from it’s hard form so a floppy, more chewable consistency. These are all examples of how science shapes and transforms our food on a daily basis and why understanding chemical and physical reactions are very important when trying to perfect food.
However similar they are, science and food aren’t all that related. While cooking involves following a recipe with specific tests and ingredients, it tends to stay the same once it’s reached overall ‘success’. Science, on the other hand, is constantly evolving. Recipes are finished once they’ve reached ‘success’ persae, but science does not stop because it is always changing and finding new ways to work. However similar the two are, they are different for the goal they're trying to achieve.
When it comes to measuring the success of a recipe, there are many factors that play a role. Common attributes that are used as a qualitative measurements are things like the taste and more specifically, whether or not it’s sweet or salty, spicy or dull or even the amount of flavor that affects the tastebuds. In addition, the consistency, the texture, the temperature etc are all measurements of the quality the food stands at. All of these factors are considered as dependent variables because they rely on the ingredients and the quantity of the ingredients that are used in the recipe.
This leads us to quantitative measurements within a recipe and how the significance of its amount is crucial to the success of a recipe. An easier term for quantitative information in regards to cooking is simply the same as the measurement of each ingredient (cups, ½ cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc). Measuring the quantitative qualities in a recipe is necessary for success because it provides us with the perfect ratio where all standards of perfect food are met. An example of this is, in regards to my own project, is how the measurement of sugar can drastically affect both the taste and consistency of ice cream. Between three measurements of sugar for three different trials of ice cream, being 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup of sugar and ¾ cup of sugar, it’s concluded that ¾ was the best ice cream overall. This is because the recipe provided enough sugar so that the ice cream was still chewy but it was also the perfect sweetness. 1 cup of sugar in the ice cream provided a good consistency but it was too sweet and ½ cup of sugar didn’t have a chewy consistency and failed to encompass the perfect amount of sweet. This is an example of how quantitative measurements determine the overall success of recipes.
In what way(s) is cooking like doing science and in what way(s) are they different? How are a cook and a food scientist similar or different?
Science is in everything. Cooking is a great example of another way in which science can be interpreted outside of the chem lab. If you think about it, food is directly connected with chemistry. When meat is cooked, it undergoes a chemical reaction. It changes color and size while also undergoing complete transformation on the inside. Protein molecules begin to split apart and the water content evaporates because of the added heat. Even when we boil noodles, they undergo a chemical reaction in which the molecular structure of the starch inside the noodle changes which brings the noodle from it’s hard form so a floppy, more chewable consistency. These are all examples of how science shapes and transforms our food on a daily basis and why understanding chemical and physical reactions are very important when trying to perfect food.
However similar they are, science and food aren’t all that related. While cooking involves following a recipe with specific tests and ingredients, it tends to stay the same once it’s reached overall ‘success’. Science, on the other hand, is constantly evolving. Recipes are finished once they’ve reached ‘success’ persae, but science does not stop because it is always changing and finding new ways to work. However similar the two are, they are different for the goal they're trying to achieve.