Dictionary definition of “molecular gastronomy”

molecular gastronomy

n. in cooking, the study and application of chemistry, physics, and other scientific principles on its processes, preparation, and materials. Subjects: English, Food & Drink, Science

Editorial Note: Hervé This writes to say, “It’s not my friend Peter Barham who gave the name ‘Molecular Gastronomy,’ but Nicholas Kurti and I, in 1988.” More information can be found in the paper, Molecular Gastronomy: A Scientific Look To Cooking.

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Citations: 1993 Hobart Mercury (Australia) (Dec. 24) “Cooking up Christmas storm with science” (in London): A scientific experiment will take place in millions of homes on Christmas Day in research that has been dubbed “molecular gastronomy” by Dr Peter Barham. Dr Barham, a physicist at Bristol University, became so disenchanted with conventional recipe books that he decided to show that cooking is more than “household alchemy”—it is the application of proven principles of chemistry and physics. 2000 Mark Henderson, Adam Sage @ Paris Ottawa Citizen (Can.) (Dec. 18) “Haute cuisine turns to science to unlock gastronomical secrets: Chemist to research smell of coffee” p. A2: One of France’s most prestigious academic institutions has founded a laboratory devoted to the study of “molecular gastronomy.” The new unit at the College de France in Paris will be headed by Dr. Herve This, a research chemist.…His first new experiment will be to determine whether coffee smells different when sugar is added. He will also study the scientific principles behind the work of Michelin-starred chefs to devise better ways to prepare top-class dishes. 2004 Émilie Boyer King @ Paris Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Mass.) (Feb. 18) “Food: his passion, his science”: Should jam be cooked in a copper pan? When gnocchi come floating to the surface of boiling water, does that mean they are cooked? Molecular gastronomy—a branch of food science that focuses on cooking and food preparation (rather than on the chemical makeup of food, as traditional food science tends to do)—has the answers. 2004 Jaime Ee Business Times (Singapore) (May 15) “Adding some weird science as a cooking ingredient”: The cool thing about molecular gastronomy is that when you understand the chemical make-up of certain ingredients, you have a better understanding of what goes well with what.

Posted 15 May 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend