Molecular gastronomy, or progressive cuisine, is a movement that incorporates science and new techniques in the preparation, transformation and artistic presentation of food. It is the study of molecules as they relate to the chemical and physical processes of cooking.
The father of molecular gastronomy is Herve This. He was born in June 5,1955 in Surenes.He is a French physical chemist . His main area of scientific research is molecular gastronomy, that is the science of culinary phenomena .
He has written many scientific publications,as well as several books on the subject, which can be understood even by those who have little or no knowledge of chemistry, but so far only four have been translated into English. He also collaborates with the magazine Pour la Science, the aim of which is to present scientific concepts to the general public. Member of the Académie d'agriculture de France since 2010, he is the president of the Section "Human Food" since 2011. In 2004, he was invited by the French Academy of sciences to create the Foundation "Food Science & Culture", of which he was appointed the Scientific Director.
Some of his discoveries include "chocolate Chantilly", a foam made of chocolate without eggs (around 65 °C, the white coagulates, but not the yolk), and more generally a large number of colloidal systems. He also found that beating an egg white after adding a small amount of cold water considerably increases the amount of foam produced.
" Molecular gastronomy not only uses science to explore the technical aspect of cooking but also the 'art' and 'love' components, both of which are important for the main aim of cooking: to delight guests." Herve,2001.
There are many branches of food science that study different aspects of food, such as safety, microbiology, preservation, chemistry, engineering and physics. Until the advent of molecular gastronomy, there was no branch dedicated to studying the chemical processes of cooking in the home and in restaurants. Food science has primarily been concerned with industrial food production and, while the disciplines may overlap, they are considered separate areas of investigation.
The creation of the discipline of molecular gastronomy was intended to bring together what had previously been fragmented and isolated investigations into the chemical and physical processes of cooking into an organized discipline within food science, to address what the other disciplines within food science either do not cover, or cover in a manner intended for scientists rather than cooks.
Carbon dioxide source, for adding bubbles and making foams
Foams can also be made with an immersion blender
Liquid nitrogen, for flash freezing and shattering
Ice cream maker, often used to make unusual flavors, including savory
Anti-griddle, for cooling and freezing
Thermal immersion circulator for sous-vide (low temperature cooking)
Food dehydrator
Centrifuge
Maltodextrin – can turn a high-fat liquid into a powder
Sugar substitutes
Prime topics for study include
How ingredients are changed by different cooking methods
How all the senses play their own roles in our appreciation of food
The mechanisms of aroma release and the perception of taste and flavor
How and why we evolved our particular taste and flavor sense organs and our general food likes and dislikes
How cooking methods affect the eventual flavor and texture of food ingredients
How new cooking methods might produce improved results of texture and flavor
How our brains interpret the signals from all our senses to tell us the "flavor" of food
How our enjoyment of food is affected by other influences, our environment, our mood, how it is presented, who prepares it, etc.
Certainly the molecular cuisine has given rise to new ideas not only to professional cooks but also to amateur cooks. Personally, I am very keen by the idea of having in my restaurant at least one recipe linked to this type of cuisine, and I think the biggest benefit is certainly in distinguishing the menu of your restaurant from others and so in good profits for the restaurant. It is also a good idea to use different recipes for different occasions and it is very fascinating to see the transformation of ingredients in real time.See the video below.
Video:
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herv%C3%A9_This
Pictures:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=molecular+gastronomy&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZr6ya-83jAhWIG80KHfyBCIYQ_AUIESgB&biw=1600&bih=1094#imgrc=37UQhjZD3wIncM:
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