Molecular Gastronomy For Dummies

Food is an art which as a whole lot of Science embedded in it and it won’t be entirely incorrect to say that a modern day kitchen has now turned into a science lab. Chef’s around the world keep experimenting with not just flavours but textures too! One such successful culinary experiment was the Molecular gastronomy.

For the last one year a lot of modern day restaurants have been incorporating this molecular gastronomy in their kitchens. Experts call it the food for tomorrow and we couldn’t agree more.

What is molecular gastronomy?
The scientific study of food and cooking is called molecular gastronomy. It is usually associated with modern foods. Chef’s, expert in this art, combine varied tastes and textures, and pad it up with their theatrical skills giving their guests a meal that not just looks decadent but also has a mind blowing palate!

The textures vary from sodium and calcium used to make fake caviar or making spaghetti out of vegetables or even smoking up your drinks with the use of liquid nitrogen. Apart from this clever use of chemicals, chefs also use high quality equipment to get the textures and tastes right!

Trick of the trade

Emulsification
Out of the various ways foam can be created; using a hand blender under liquid is the easiest. The foam that appears at the top can be delicately skimmed and added to the dish. This foam might not last long so it is suggested that liquid one uses is thicker in consistency.

Spherification
Like the name suggests it can make any ingredient appear spherical on your plate. The most common trick is making fake Caviar balls using sodium alginate and calcium salt. All you need to do is mix sodium alginate to the liquid that you want to make caviar of. Pore droplets of this mixture into a solution of calcium and water and scoop them out quickly. This trick makes up to be a beautiful garnish on pretty much every course.

Smoke it up
If you enjoy cocktails, then this one is for you. Using a smoking sun you could add cigar smoke to your malt or cinnamon to your cocktail. Although the smoke does not last long, the taste and the nose last till the last drop.