How is chemistry used in culinary arts?

Answer 1

A basic way to explain how chemistry is related to culinary arts would be to say chemicals and culinary arts both have to do with measurements, and with reactions.

When water boils, when oil simmers, when you make toast, anything you do when you cook involves chemistry!

All cooking involves chemical processes and chemical changes. When you heat or cool foods, mix them with other foods, even when you simply chop foods, you are facilitating a chemical process.

For example, if you cut a lettuce with your usual stainless-steel kitchen knife you start a chemical reaction which leaches out nutrients from the cut area and accelerates decomposition: this is seen easily because, after a while, the cut edges will begin to turn brown. You can frequently see this discoloration at the stem end of a lettuce when you buy it. There are now serrated plastic knives readily available in supermarkets, specially made for cutting lettuce, to avoid discoloration.

Another readily observed example is when you put a piece of meat into a hot pan: the first chemical changes you observe are (a) a change in odour, and (b) a change in color.

Each different type of meat will show a different reaction.

So cooking is one of the most basic ways we have of observing chemistry at work!

Answer 2

well, certain combinations of ingredients may create a chemical reaction. for example, baking soda and vinegar, do NOT mix well for a cake recipe.