Molecular gastronomy
The molecular gastronomy or molecular gastronomy is concerned with the biochemical and physico- chemical processes in the preparation and the enjoyment of food and drink. The term has been established, however controversial - it is not very meaningful, since all things are composed of molecules. International also uses the terms modernist cuisine (in German, modern kitchen '), culinary physics (in German, Physics of the culinary arts ') or experimental cuisine (in German, experimental cookery ' ) is used.
The molecular kitchen implements findings from the scientific investigation of biochemical, physical and chemical processes involved in the preparation of food and beverages that have to do with the change of textures of individual products or in general with the interactions between physical- chemical processes and changes of a product.
History
The term " molecular gastronomy " was coined around 1990 by Hervé This, in 1992, the first International Workshop on Molecular and Physical Gastronomy took place in Sicily. As a goal of this applied science called This following: to explain traditional recipes, they might improve, and create with the insights gained new recipes.
Hervé This, however, was not the first, of the scientific observation of cooking sessions devoted himself. Since the Second World War, for example, various gelling agents such as agar, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, and others were added in convenience food products to produce a desired consistency and thus a sought mouthfeel, next was reduced with antioxidants such as vitamin C, the oxidation of the products and enhanced by the addition of flavoring extracts the flavor. In the 1980s, Nicholas Kurti had written the essay "The Physicist in the Kitchen " the foundations for modern molecular gastronomy. From Kurti comes also the fond of quoting from This sentence: " It is absurd that we know more about the temperature in the center of the sun than those inside a soufflé. "
The changed behavior of structures in foods due to mechanical effects, caused by temperature changes or by the use of additives such as alginates which employs -dealing with the issue of scientists and cooks. She is less interested in the question of when the right cooking time for meat and fish is reached or how long a soufflé must remain in the oven. For it is rather important to know why all this happened, and to derive insights also for other preparation processes. Thomas A. Vilgis from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz is one of Germany's most famous scientists in the field of molecular gastronomy. International have especially Hervé This, Harold McGee, Nicholas Kurti and Peter Barham made great development.
For this scientific approach is a novel style of haute cuisine has developed molecular cuisine is called, but in the end only one molecular gastronomy is applied. His most famous international representative is the Spanish chef Ferran Adrià. The Spanish -born three -star chef Juan Amador worked in his restaurant in Langen also in this area, however, rejects for the term molecular gastronomy from. Another molecular inspired chef in Germany 's Heiko Antoniewicz. International include next Adrià Heston Blumenthal, Grant Achatz and Marc Veyrat of the most important chefs in the field of molecular- inspired avant-garde cuisine. Other important representatives are the Spaniard Martin Berasategui, Juan Arzak, Joan Roca, Luiz Aduriz, Quique Dacosta and Homaru and Cantu ( Chicago), Sergio Herman (Netherlands ), and Rene Redzepi (Denmark). In Germany, the scientist and physicist Thomas Vilgis is a well known expert on molecular gastronomy. His research scientifically in the field and also also published popular science books and articles on the topic.
The former Microsoft employees Nathan Myhrvold in 2011 along with Chris Young and Maxime Biletein a six-volume cookbook, a new definition of " modern kitchen " was published. In Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, he approaches science in the modern experimental cuisine. At 2438 pages, he estimated, for example, his "perfect cheeseburger " 30 hours preparation time.
Methods
The molecular gastronomy applied also uses insights from modern food technology to produce dishes with completely new properties, such as foams, airs, hot jellies, hot " ice" which melts during cooling in the mouth, sweets made from olive oil or " caviar " from melons. Due to the surprising combinations of flavors, sweet and salty, temperatures and textures are these dishes at the same time " school of perception" and approach the methods of modern art.
Be used in the molecular -inspired cuisine and various devices that are from the Laboratory. Are frequently used rotary evaporator for producing extracts, aroma salts and distillates, as well as a cooling with dry ice or -: ( "low temperature cooking " sous vide (French for under vacuum ') also ) Represents primarily the temperature- controlled water bath, vacuum cooking liquid nitrogen homogenizer, centrifuge and Lyophillen.
Typical dishes
A famous creation of molecular -inspired kitchen is the spherical melon caviar from Ferran Adrià. In terms of flavor pairing Heston Blumenthal's also salmon can be counted to with licorice sauce.
The molecular- inspired cuisine uses a variety of natural base products, including texturizer, which are used as versatile and vegetarian alternatives to gelatin. These include xanthan gum ( E 415 ) or the materials derived from seaweed agar agar and alginate, as well as locust bean gum and guar gum.