Molecular gastronomy

Molecular gastronomy is the scientific study of the physical and chemical processes involved in cooking, including how ingredients change during preparation.

Spherification: A culinary technique that forms liquid-filled spheres using alginate and calcium ions. It turns ionic gelation into a way to create thin-skinned, liquid-centered foods.
Hervé This: A French physical chemist known for studying the science of cooking and coining the term molecular gastronomy. His experiments and writing helped establish the field and popularize its name.
Modernist cuisine: A culinary movement that applies scientific knowledge and specialized techniques to cooking. It translates findings about ingredients and processes into an identifiable approach to cuisine.
Molecular cuisine: A style of cooking associated with chefs who use scientific knowledge and unconventional techniques. It describes a culinary practice, whereas molecular gastronomy names scientific study.
Emulsification: The dispersion of droplets of one immiscible liquid throughout another. Sauces such as mayonnaise depend on controlling how oil and water remain mixed.
Nicholas Kurti: A Hungarian-born physicist who studied cooking and helped found molecular gastronomy as a scientific discipline. His collaboration with Hervé This connected physical science with culinary questions.
Nathan Myhrvold: An American inventor and author who led the creation of the multivolume cookbook Modernist Cuisine. His books brought detailed scientific explanations of cooking techniques to a broad culinary audience.
Traditional cuisine: A body of cooking practices transmitted within a culture or community over time. Traditional methods can be studied scientifically without becoming molecular cuisine.
Gelation: The formation of a three-dimensional network that traps liquid and gives a material gel-like structure. Gelling agents let cooks transform liquids into stable, spoonable or sliceable textures.
Erice Workshops on Molecular and Physical Gastronomy: A series of international scientific meetings on the physical and chemical processes involved in cooking. The 1992 workshop gave researchers a forum that helped define the emerging field.

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