Questions tagged [food-science]
All about the scientific theories behind food. Cooking myths debunked here.
509
questions
2
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1answer
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what about peanuts that makes them more nut like than bean like?
As we all know, peanuts are actually legumes and not nuts. But they taste and function much more like nuts. They can be cooked quickly like nuts while beans take a long time to cook.
What about their ...
2
votes
1answer
169 views
Why does spatzle dissolve in water?
We've made spatzle a bunch of times with great success. Tonight, we put it in the boiling water like many times before, and it completely dissolved, resulting in cloudy water rather than anything ...
-1
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1answer
95 views
How does bacterial contamination grow on food, and is the standard advice to cook your food to a high internal temperature wrong?
The standard advice, for both steak and fish is to cook them to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to kill any bacterial contamination. Is this overly simplistic advice that's mostly incorrect? ...
15
votes
3answers
4k views
Why is churro dough created with boiling water?
Every recipe I have found for making traditional Spanish churros or porras calls for adding the flour to boiling or near-boiling water (or, less commonly, milk).
These are very simple pastries, ...
7
votes
1answer
364 views
Are there other foods that are known to be not your taste based on genetics?
It is pretty widely known that cilantro tastes bad for some people only because of a gene that makes that herb taste like soap.
But are there other foods/herbs that are known to be your taste or not ...
0
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1answer
145 views
Why are halal carts so much more prevalent in nyc than taco carts? [closed]
I expressed surprise to a friend that halal carts are so prevalent in nyc, whereas taco carts seem nearly non-existent, and he confidently told me that this is due to the halal foods being easier to ...
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vote
2answers
131 views
What is the methology for developing seasonings in the food industry?
I was wondering how large-scale snack food producers are coming up with ingredient proportions that have the desired flavour profiles.
I understand that developing a certain flavour profile is a ...
5
votes
3answers
989 views
Why does mixing the salt and yeast sometimes work?
I've always learned that DO NOT mix salt with yeast. Because the salt kills the yeast, and the sugar actually helps. You should always put the salt.
So what is the "magic" of this recipe (...
2
votes
1answer
150 views
What causes a food to become tough as opposed to crispy or flaky when pan frying or baking?
When making dosa or pizza, I like to try to get the dosa or pizza crust to be crispy, so I often cook or bake a bit longer. I can achieve crispiness, but it seems to come at the expense of making ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Marinade tenderizing process
This article is trying to explain some of the science behind marination, but I don't really understand what they are trying to say here.
As far back as pre-Columbian Mexico, cooks found that wrapping ...
2
votes
1answer
104 views
Maillard Reaction at Higher Pressures
The Maillard Reaction requires temperatures of 140 to 165 Degrees Celsius; hence "browning" cannot be achieved with water when cooking under normal conditions since the boiling point of ...
0
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0answers
45 views
I am concerned that some cooked food I left out overnight on the counter could contain botulism [duplicate]
I accidentally left some cooked summer squash and red peppers lightly coated with olive oil in a pan wrapped loosely in foil on the stove overnight. My boyfriend didn't notice it and set a cookie ...
13
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9answers
4k views
Does 'Non-cold/warm ice-cream' exist?
Is there a food that resembles the texture and consistency of ice cream but is not cold/does not have to be kept cold?
6
votes
1answer
419 views
Why does sweetness reduce sourness?
I hope I'm not using the wrong word here, since I know the "acidic" quality to a food does not change by adding sugar (same amount of free hydrogen ions).
But it's known that adding ...
1
vote
2answers
93 views
Can I measure solids-not-fat using nutrition facts only?
My first time to ask here.
I'm trying to formulate my own recipe of vegan ice cream and am following a certain proportion/percentage for each component (fat 17%, sugar 14%, solids-not-fat (SNF) 11% ...
0
votes
3answers
96 views
Why does milk and white chocolate have different tempering temperatures?
So my understanding is that to temper chocolate, it requires manipulating the heat to form the ideal crystal structure (i.e., beta V) that has the ideal properties for chocolate. These temperatures ...
3
votes
2answers
231 views
Do different "regions" really have a "general common taste"?
I have now numerous times heard things such as:
In the final step, the factory adds custom spices for the specific region for which this batch of hotdogs are supposed to be sold.
It is strongly ...
6
votes
1answer
141 views
How do egg whites help to keep fats inside a cake?
Recently I tried to bake a cake (Caprese) from:
ground almonds
butter
dark chocolate
sugar
eggs
I melted chocolate and butter, mixed all of this with whipped sugar yolks, and then... totally screwed ...
7
votes
2answers
4k views
Products that can be microwaved and "pop" just like popcorn
What makes corn pop and is it possible to microwave any other type of food into the form of pop-something just like sweetcorn?
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3answers
235 views
Is there any food ingredient that tastes like diesel smells?
I like the smell of diesel, and other heavy oils.
Are there any food ingredients, i.e. safe to eat, that have a taste similar to diesel.
I think it would be an interesting experience to eat or drink ...
0
votes
1answer
124 views
Cooking a Lean Cuisine frozen pizza in a toaster oven or regular oven instead of microwave
I know it says in the directions to use microwave only. But I am more curious than anything else. Is it a food safety issue perhaps? I generally put olive oil around the crust of any frozen pizza to ...
4
votes
1answer
129 views
Are the oats in overnight oats processed differently by milk than by milk substitutes?
I've read some recipes/blogs that say that overnight oats can be made with milk substitutes such as almond milk. Other recipes/blogs I've read say that enzymes found in milk help to break down the ...
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1answer
126 views
What determines if something is easy to chew? A lot of liquid or totally dehydrated?
On one hand, we have foods like jelly or melted cheese which are primarily liquid and seem very easy to eat and swallow. On the other hand, we have astronaut food or some pastries (or cotton candy?) ...
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2answers
167 views
How to decrease sticking during frying without adding fats
Are there ways to introduce anti-sticking food additives for frying batter like substances and very high protein solutions without introducing excess fats into the recipe? With some of my experiments ...
0
votes
0answers
56 views
Date bars are too sticky
I am making date bars very similar to nakd bars but keeping running into the same problem when making them.
The bars are way too sticky!
I used the following ingredients
Dates
Freeze dried ...
3
votes
1answer
134 views
Which emulsifer to use for low viscosity emulsions of 10-20% fat and water
I'd like to create low viscosity emulsions of between 10% to 20% fat and ~80% water, the hope was to have a viscosity somewhere around that of milk or cream. Slightly thicker could be ok as well but ...
2
votes
1answer
110 views
Sugar content of food
This appears to be the most relevant site to post my question about the sugar content of foods. For the various sugar products that I have come across recently, it appears that typically one teaspoon ...
5
votes
2answers
340 views
Scientific results on which oils to use for pan-frying
I am trying to find out which oils are suitable for pan-frying at high temperatures (when frying steaks or pancakes where smoke points are typically reached). Since there seems to be no agreement and ...
3
votes
1answer
597 views
Cake not rising - too many wet ingredients?
I've tried making this three layer cake twice in the past two days. I think the issue is too many wet ingredients. It’s from a cookbook I trust for the most part, but after two failures, I’m not sure ...
3
votes
1answer
182 views
Why use both milk and cream in a waffle recipe?
I live in Europe and use a lot of European recipes. Here, traditional waffle recipes generally use a mixture of cream and milk as the liquid. The recipes include melted butter, so I don't understand ...
8
votes
3answers
277 views
How does the flavour from aromatics actually get into food?
I've always wondered what the exact mechanism is which allows flavours from aromatics to permeate food. For instance, I bake chicken with sliced lemon, sliced garlic, and parsley (each in hefty ...
1
vote
4answers
191 views
With few items, it easier/safer to use the fridge for everything, are there trade offs?
I don't keep much food in the house, and generally use the fridge as a general purpose store for all kinds of food, as a way to slow down chemical reactions and lifeform growth alike, as well as ...
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0answers
147 views
How do I use Carnauba or Beeswax for Candy?
I am trying to make gummies and I want to use either Carnauba wax or bees wax to make a coating, anyone got any idea WHAT Carnauba or bees wax to use and how to apply it? I know they use a tumbler but ...
1
vote
1answer
271 views
For microwave hot chocolate, why pour the hot milk into the chocolate rather than mixing the milk with chocolate then heating?
I read on the back of the unsweetened Hershey's cocoa powder box that I should first heat milk in a microwave and then pour into another cup with the powder, salt and sugar. This tasted much better ...
3
votes
1answer
247 views
Does boiling water deactivate malt enzymes?
Will mixing boiling water with malt flour deactivate the malt enzymes?
I’m trying to adapt a recipe for mämmi that involves mixing mixing a combination of malt+regular flour with boiling water in a 1:...
2
votes
1answer
199 views
Why does salt and seasoning stick better to hot foods?
In every recipe I see for fries, popcorn, churros, and other foods where I normally want to add the salt/sugar/seasoning at the end, everybody says to make sure to do it while the food is still hot so ...
2
votes
1answer
177 views
Do yeast pancakes contain alcohol?
I fed my 2 year old pancakes that required yeast: yeast, mashed banana, warm water, whole wheat and buckwheat flour, and salt. I left the batch in the fridge overnight, and in the morning added a ...
2
votes
3answers
375 views
What do you get from boiling dough
I was wondering about what happens to bread dough under various cooking conditions.
More explicitly: what do you get when you boil dough?
I know baking gives you bread and frying gives you donuts. And ...
4
votes
1answer
314 views
What are the main flavours/aroma compounds of the Scottish soft drink "Irn-Bru" (Iron Brew)?
Those familiar with the Scottish soft drink Irn-Bru may be familiar with the marketing slogan: "made from girders." This is due to the drink's taste which some describe as having a metallic ...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
How to reliably get flatbreads to puff or balloon up? [duplicate]
When making similar (wheat) flatbreads of many types (from different cultures e.g. chapati and pita), it is desirable for it to puff up like a balloon so that a pocket forms on the inside. Presumably, ...
1
vote
2answers
217 views
Does steak from a supermarket cook quicker than steak from a butchers?
I've recently made the jump from buying steaks at the grocery store to buying whole cuts of steak from an online butcher and breaking them down into steaks myself.
One thing I have noticed is the ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Will adding salt to stainless steel steamer cause pitting? [duplicate]
I have bought a stainless steel pot steaming insert.
Will adding salt to food (maybe frozen) when I start cooking it with steam cause pitting of the insert?
Thank you.
0
votes
1answer
98 views
Why so many fruits/veg fall into these color categories?
Disclaimer: This question is not about cooking per se, rather about food itself; please let me know if this is not appropriate for this SE.
I have noticed that there are many fruits and vegetables ...
23
votes
3answers
5k views
What happens when you reduce stock all the way?
If you have fully filtered stock or broth, and you boil it until all of the liquid evaporates; what would you be left with. If you boiled only until a bit before that point would you have super ...
1
vote
1answer
144 views
Alternatives to borax for minced protein recipes (fish balls, kebabs, etc.)?
Borax (sodium salt of boric acid) is used in some recipes as a texturizing agent.
From Wikipedia:
borax imparts a firm, rubbery texture to food.
It does this by binding polymers in the food:
Borax ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
Will mechanical blending denature alpha amylase / glucoamylase?
I am trying to break down the starches in a certain variety of oats in the most efficient way possible. I have to break the whole oats down after cooking, so they are fine particles for the amylase to ...
3
votes
3answers
248 views
Why "Pre-oiled Pita"?
I have started buying Kontos Pre-oiled Pita, and am super pleased with the product.
They taste great and also seem to last forever on the shelf.
.. but I have never heard of "oiling" pitas! ...
4
votes
2answers
288 views
Why does my red palm oil seem to have such a low smoke point?
I bought some red palm oil from an African grocer (no brand... it just comes in an unlabeled plastic milk jug), and it seems to have the lowest smoke point of any oil I've used despite every online ...
12
votes
1answer
3k views
What does it mean when an egg splatters and the white is greenish-yellow?
This morning I decided to make some eggs. I cracked open the first egg and it just all sort of splashed out onto the pan, the yolk already liquefied and the whites with this yellowish-greenish hue.
I ...
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1answer
105 views
What causes pollution when cooking? [closed]
I'm having trouble finding the right search terms so perhaps I am just missing some obvious resources. Sorry if that's the case.
It is sometimes brought up that cooking causes pollution. I learned of ...
