Culinary Chemistry

[605703266]

This is so cool wow

[Diana peng 3I]

I read an article that mention that the reason we add baking soda in meat is that it will increase the pH in meat which break the protein make the meat taste more tender.

[Ben Broselle 3 I]

I love cooking never really thought about how chemistry is applied to it though!

[Parinita Jithendra 2A]

This seems really interesting! I barely cook but I definitely would try mixing chemistry into it as it may even help me understand chemistry better. Thank you the YouTube links as well, I am looking forward to trying it!

[Danielle Andal 3F]

This was super cool to read about because there are times where I feel all students have that moment where we think “Will we really be using this in the future?” so I really enjoyed hearing about your experience.

[Jaelyn Christian 2J]

my aunt who is a chemist told me that the easiest was to learn is to compare to cooking or baking.

[Emily2J]

Also speaking of acidity, if anyone has any good cooking or baking recipes having to do with oranges they would be much appreciated - I currently have a surplus of oranges on my hands.

Probably late but did you ever find a good recipe?

[Vance Liu]

For some reason, I always find myself stress-baking during finals week--just to get my mind off things.

I can relate to this one. I'm stress-making boba and drinking way too much tea. It's scary and yet so tasty. My weighing scale going up up up.

Boba has to be my ultimate weakness, I could save a lot of money by making it but I may die of too much sugar.

Never understood the enormous hype around boba. I mean it's good, but some people consume that stuff religiously.

[705573518]

My brother and I once shattered a glass pan of brownies after putting it on a cold metal table straight out of the oven...truly tragic

Lmao I've done this too

lol I have definitely done this too. maybe if I took chem14a sooner I'd understand why that was a bad idea and not do it ahhaha

[Claudia Longo 2J]

Also speaking of acidity, if anyone has any good cooking or baking recipes having to do with oranges they would be much appreciated - I currently have a surplus of oranges on my hands.

If you find yourself with too many, you can use the peels and soak them in a jar of vinegar for two weeks. Then you'll have an all-purpose cleaner that you can use for any cleaning type, like washing baseboards or cleaning countertops. It sounds strange but it is very sustainable and eco-friendly. The citric acid in the peels and acidity of the vinegar make it nearly impossible for harmful microbes to survive.

[Claudia Longo 2J]

I was just reading about non-stove cooking and stumbled across a passage describing how marination not only imbibes food with extra flavor but also breaks down proteins in meat dishes - when the marinade contains an acidic element, as it usually does - essentially "cooking" it without requiring any heat. Very interesting.

Marinades are also a safer way to consume meat dishes. Sometimes when people cook meat too much the outside will char and this char is unfortunately carcinogenic to some extent. A lot of the proteins and amino acids are destroyed or their chemical structure is altered which poses a threat to healthy cells.

[Claudia Longo 2J]

Something I recently learned was the difference between heat-safe and regular glass. Heat-safe glass (like the kind you can use oven, eg. Pyrex) is made of borosilicate glass, which has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and therefore is less likely to break at high temperatures. I think this is more related to physics but it definitely reminded me of specific heat capacities which we are learning about in Chem14B! Basically, just make sure to check if your glass is heat-resistant or it could shatter.

Great point Sabine. I would also like to add that people should also make sure their cookware is safe. A lot of pots and pans people get nowadays are contaminated with lead, cadmium, or are made of a synthetic alloy called "teflon-" all being highly carcinogenic and should be avoided at all costs. It would be such a shame to carve out time in one's schedule to cook healthy meals and then find out the cookware has been depositing toxic metals into the said food.

[oliviacarnot]

i honestly recommend reading "the science of cooking". it goes into the chemistry of cooking for everyday items and more, it also gives some fun facts of sorts.

[claireselleck_3E]

This doesn't really have anything to do with cooking, and I'm unsure if someone already mentioned this... but I was thinking back to when I was younger and watching my mom prepare food around the house. I remember she'd cut apples and let them soak in orange juice, so they don't brown as quickly. Basically when apples brown, a chemical reaction is occurring when the cut fruit is exposed to oxygen. When you soak the apples, the citric acid from the orange juice slows down the reaction, ultimately preventing browning for several hours. Same goes for avocado and lime- the lime will slow down the browning of the avocado.

[Diana peng 3I]

i honestly recommend reading "the science of cooking". it goes into the chemistry of cooking for everyday items and more, it also gives some fun facts of sorts.

I have the same book, it is so interesting. Lots of fun facts regarding general cooking. Combining science, chem with culinary art.

[Vashe Sundar 3H]

This is so cool! I love making connections as to how chemistry appears in our everyday life. Not only that, but chemistry topics such as acidity and temperature appear in different stages of cooking/baking. For example, the acidity of a salad dressing or how temperature changes the chemical composure of certain ingredients, influencing the taste of it.

[Isabella Nassir 2B]

I really love this thread of applying chemistry to the culinary world. As the holidays are coming quick, are there any recommended recipes any of you recommend which connect back to our class material by any chance? :)

[Isabella Nassir 2B]

This doesn't really have anything to do with cooking, and I'm unsure if someone already mentioned this... but I was thinking back to when I was younger and watching my mom prepare food around the house. I remember she'd cut apples and let them soak in orange juice, so they don't brown as quickly. Basically when apples brown, a chemical reaction is occurring when the cut fruit is exposed to oxygen. When you soak the apples, the citric acid from the orange juice slows down the reaction, ultimately preventing browning for several hours. Same goes for avocado and lime- the lime will slow down the browning of the avocado.

What is this chemical reaction called?

[Isabella Nassir 2B]

I was just reading about non-stove cooking and stumbled across a passage describing how marination not only imbibes food with extra flavor but also breaks down proteins in meat dishes - when the marinade contains an acidic element, as it usually does - essentially "cooking" it without requiring any heat. Very interesting.

Marinades are also a safer way to consume meat dishes. Sometimes when people cook meat too much the outside will char and this char is unfortunately carcinogenic to some extent. A lot of the proteins and amino acids are destroyed or their chemical structure is altered which poses a threat to healthy cells.

Growing up I was told not to eat the burnt part of meats and chard in the house. But my family kept making food of the grill or any way with high heat, not through marinades...but this seems like a very healthy alternative and I definitely need to incorporate it into my life. Seems like a much healthier way of life for a person who consumes a lot of meat and chicken in their diet.

[Kayla Ziebell 1H]

Yesterday, I brought a bag of sliced apples for lunch with me but by the time I got to eat it, it was already browning. Then I remembered how my mom used to cover apples with lemon juice to keep them fresh all day long! The acidity of the lemon slows down the browning because ascorbic acid reacts with the oxygen before the oxygen can react with the enzymes in the fruit.

I always found this so interesting! I never would of thought about it like that and applied what we have learned in chemistry. Great connection!

[Parinita Jithendra 2A]

i honestly recommend reading "the science of cooking". it goes into the chemistry of cooking for everyday items and more, it also gives some fun facts of sorts.

I shall definitely check this out as I do want to try new foods this holiday season!

[Vance Liu]

This doesn't really have anything to do with cooking, and I'm unsure if someone already mentioned this... but I was thinking back to when I was younger and watching my mom prepare food around the house. I remember she'd cut apples and let them soak in orange juice, so they don't brown as quickly. Basically when apples brown, a chemical reaction is occurring when the cut fruit is exposed to oxygen. When you soak the apples, the citric acid from the orange juice slows down the reaction, ultimately preventing browning for several hours. Same goes for avocado and lime- the lime will slow down the browning of the avocado.

The pigments in the avocado react with the air, producing melanin, which gives it its brown color. Limes have vitamin C, which combats the enzyme that reacts with the air, slowing down the oxidation process.

[Vance Liu]

This doesn't really have anything to do with cooking, and I'm unsure if someone already mentioned this... but I was thinking back to when I was younger and watching my mom prepare food around the house. I remember she'd cut apples and let them soak in orange juice, so they don't brown as quickly. Basically when apples brown, a chemical reaction is occurring when the cut fruit is exposed to oxygen. When you soak the apples, the citric acid from the orange juice slows down the reaction, ultimately preventing browning for several hours. Same goes for avocado and lime- the lime will slow down the browning of the avocado.

What is this chemical reaction called?

Its just called oxidation.

[Vance Liu]

I know this delves more into biology a bit, but I'm curious about the structure of wagyu beef. What makes it different from regular angus or other varieties? I know that the fat melts easier at room temperature, and how the fat influences the Maillard reaction when cooking it in a pan.

[Tony Chen 1F]

This thread is a gem

[405566265]

When making cookies it’s better to melt the butter instead of cream it because melting the butter releases it’s water content! This combines with the flour to make the cookies gooier.

[505771920]

Its also fun to use household ingredients for cooking to do experiments such as elephants toothpaste where you use something like yeast with hydrogen peroxide so you get to see the rapid decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide. You also get the visual of the energy being released with the steam that comes off

[Morgan Micallef 1A]

This is such a cool thread, thank you!!!

[Isabelle Kludt 2B]

This thread is so interesting thanks for sharing!

[Carlie_Dorostkar_1A]

Also I haven't purchased this myself because cookbooks are expensive and all of mine are gifts, but I think there's some review of this in Samin Nosrat's "Salt Fat Acid HEat." I'm almost curious to see exactly why the combination of these different elements can elevate a dish so much more than if you were to excluce one element-- maybe theres some chemistry-based explanaiton regarding enhanced flavor or the biological response to these combinations in taste!

I love this book! There is also a documentary that is really cool to watch!

[azurexrose]

I just had boba!! Is there a chemical reason why sometimes the boba pearls are hard and sometimes they are softer?

[David Facio 3C]

Does anyone know what food takes the longest to decompose? What material is it made of and how does it last for so long without spoiling?

[dericasu3a]

Does anyone know what food takes the longest to decompose? What material is it made of and how does it last for so long without spoiling?

I don't know for sure what food takes the longest to decompose, but I do know that foods that are low in moisture and high in sugar/salt/fat (think fruitcake) don't tend to spoil easily. These factors provide a not-ideal environment for bacteria, mold, and yeast.

For example, honey, which is made of fructose and glucose (sugars) can last thousands of years. A few years ago some archaeologists found honey in a tomb in Georgia that was 5500 years old, and it was perfectly edible.

[Giselle Simmons 2D]

I just had boba!! Is there a chemical reason why sometimes the boba pearls are hard and sometimes they are softer?

I thought this was a good question so I looked into it! Heat and water trigger the gelatin of tapioca flour, and the end product is a tapioca gel ball. As more hot water flows into the polymer (tapioca flour), the heat unpacks the crystalline regions. This releases long chain polymers from the crystalline regions to form hydrogen bonds with each other, initiating gelation. It seems that the warmer the water is, the softer the balls will be.

[Michelle Gong]

I've always found this interesting as well! I think this is why there's an area of study called food science, because really, cooking/baking is a bunch of chemical reactions! How fun!

[Jacob_Eberson_2D]

In highschool I had to do a project on this! I made pancakes and explained it like a chemical process, as well as talking about what chemical processes were happening. It was actually super cool and helped me to understand the chemistry topics more than anything else.

[Isabella Nassir 2B]

Speaking of culinary chemistry, if anyone has any recipes that can be made with ~microwave~ radiation let me know. Dorm life is a struggle.

Trader Joe's has a lot of really nice and delicious frozen food. I really like their potstickers and butter chicken, but they have a lot of variety. I also recently made raspberry sauce for a parfait in the microwave. You just put frozen raspberries in a bowl with some sugar since frozen raspberries can be tart, and you heat it for a minute to a minute and a half. Then you mash it with your fork and strain it to remove the seeds. You can use a spoon to mash the raspberries against the strainer to get the most juice/sauce out. I use this for parfaits with vanilla ice cream and granola, and it's delicious! You can do this with any frozen fruit that's easily mashable like strawberries or blueberries.

Question: Is microwavable food bad for you (because of the radiation) and is there any scientific evidence to back that up?

[Isabella Nassir 2B]

I've always found this interesting as well! I think this is why there's an area of study called food science, because really, cooking/baking is a bunch of chemical reactions! How fun!

I completely agree and i think the most interesting part is that the ratios whole baking / cooking are so important, just like molar ratios in chemical reactions. Even a slight change in molar ratios or cooking ratios, too much or too little reactant, can make a difference in the product.

[Isabella Nassir 2B]

I just had boba!! Is there a chemical reason why sometimes the boba pearls are hard and sometimes they are softer?

Sometimes if the tapioca pearls get too cold or come into direct contact with the ice before other liquid has been added, they can start to harden.

[Omeed Kalan]

This is amazing, I love how you are applying what we learned to your everyday life.
I too found that what I learned could be applied especially in cooking.