Chem-Chef: An Alternative To Becoming A Chief Chemist
Sunday, February 20, 2011 - 21:10
in Physics & Chemistry
My first brush with molecular gastronomy came decades ago with attempts to convince my Italian mother that the shape of pasta noodles actually affects their taste. Although all forms are made with semolina(from durum wheat), their shapes affect texture which is part of the taste experience. Fusilli, bucatini and farfalle also have a range of surface to volume ratios. It is plausible that this leads to noticeable differences in salt absorption and causes varying amounts of sauce to cling to them. Anyone who has cooked has definitely noticed that the time of cooking varies inversely with the surface area of noodles. As the time decreases, it creates a narrower window to capture that optimal al dente texture. read more