When it comes to molecular cuisine, people’s first reaction may be that it is high-end. In fact, being expensive has nothing to do with molecular cuisine. It’s just that the prices are high because of its novelty and gimmicks. But when you understand the various techniques and definitions of molecular cuisine, it will suddenly become clear. In this issue of Culinary Pioneer, we will continue to unveil the mystery of molecular cuisine.

The concept of molecular gastronomy

Molecular gastronomy, also known as molecular gastronomy and artificial cuisine, is a culinary concept that has become very popular overseas in recent years. It is now frequently used in top restaurants around the world. See his figure, "The taste of food is processed and presented in molecular units, breaking the original appearance of the ingredients, rearranging and shaping them. What you eat is not what you see." This is the scientific principle of molecular cuisine.

The so-called molecular gastronomy refers to combining glucose, vitamin C, sodium citrate, maltitol and other edible chemicals to change the molecular structure of the ingredients and recombine them to create unique foods. edible food. For example, turning solid food into liquid or even gas for consumption, or making one food taste and look like another food. An infinite amount of food can be produced from a molecular perspective, no longer limited by factors such as geography, climate, and yield. Such as: foamy potatoes, caviar made from vegetables, etc.

Molecular gastronomy uses a scientific approach to understand the principles of physical or chemical changes in food molecules, and then uses the gained experience and data to recreate food. Just like Einstein, who was not a physicist, created a new theory in the physics world, the original founders of molecular gastronomy were not professional chefs. Instead, Herve This was founded by Nicholas Kurti, a physicist scholar, and a chemist scholar.

The greatest value of this creative concept based on scientific research may be that it allows us to better understand traditional dishes, improve traditional methods, and explore the infinite possibilities of delicious food.

Molecular gastronomy is a scientific research activity, not carried out by chefs, but by scientists. It is an art school of European cooking. Molecular gastronomy is only about 20 years old from its birth to today. But what is surprising is that among the 50 best restaurants in the world rated by the British "Restaurant" magazine in 2006, the top three are actually restaurants of this type, whether it is ElBulli, The Fat Duck, or Pierre Gagnaire , are both well-known leaders in this culinary genre, and are both Michelin three-star restaurants, enjoying high reputation in the world. Therefore, we have to pay attention to this genre that is having an increasingly profound impact on the world, but is still unfamiliar in China.

What is molecular gastronomy?

In fact, the so-called chemical changes are nothing more than changing the taste, shape, color, etc. of the food itself by adding various edible chemical additives.

For example, the most common "fruit caviar" in molecular cuisine is made by slowly dripping lecithin with thick orange juice into a solution with dissolved calcium salts. In fact, It has nothing to do with caviar, but because of the action of calcium and lecithin, a thin film similar to the outer layer of caviar is formed on the outside of the juice, giving the juice the same taste and appearance as caviar