Cooking with science

We take some lemon juice (liquid), turn it into a gel (solid), then blend it until it turns back into a liquid (almost). We just made a fluid gel! Why bother doing that? Must be a waste of time, right? Well, bazinga! Guess what, fluid gels are incredible! You get a surprisingly different mouthfeel that can turn dishes into a whole new culinary experience. The flavour is released slower than from the original liquid, similar to the pleasant lingering taste of fatty foods. Food scientists would probably call fluid gels “ a suspension of gelled particles dispersed in a non-gelled continuous medium ” [1]. They have unusual properties. They look like a thickened liquid, but retain their shape like a solid. Great for decorating plates or for coating food like a sauce. Fluid gels are versatile. Fruit juices are commonly used, but other liquids work as well. How about some chicken cooked sous-vide style (more on that another time!), and served with some lemon fluid gel on the

Ever had Hollandaise sauce with eggs? A vinaigrette dressing with salad? Ever eaten mayonnaise or just milk? You've eaten so many emulsions and you don't even know it! You've consumed tasty dispersed media ! In terms of cooking, an emulsion is often what you get when you manage to mix two liquids that normally don't mix. A common example is fat and water. So how do you mix them? You need some "glue" to get them to mix. That's what an emulsifier does! Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil and water, with emulsifiers from egg yolk. Tiny droplets of oil are dispersed in the water. Emulsifiers sit in between them and keep them separated. They stabilise the emulsion. Isn't it interesting how you mix oil and water and you get something thicker, more viscus? So what about Xanthan Gum ? In the culinary world it is used to thicken sauces or to stabilise emulsions. That's why you find it in so many condiments and sauces! I was pleasantly surprised to

If you haven't already tried bubble tea, then do so (for science!). You can find it in several places around the city. The highlight of the drink is little popping-bubble sweeties with a gel-like surface, kind of like "caviar balls". You get a burst of sweet fruity flavours when you bite into them! How could we make these popping-bubbles? The process is called spherification ! You'll have the chance to make some yourself in our workshop! Spherification is not just for bubble tea. There's so much more! Impress your friends by adding a twist to classic cocktails! How about a crème brûlée with some coffee-caviar to balance the sweetness!

Ever wondered how bubble tea is made? Or what's the difference between good old sugar and the perfect caramel you find on a crème brûlée? Come along to our workshop to find out! Dive into the culinary arts and explore how science can improve cooking. This is very different from using cooking to demonstrate scientific principles! Learn how science can be applied in the kitchen to achieve desired flavours and textures. Discover techniques used by chefs to create innovative dishes. Try out specialist techniques used in haute cuisine, and learn how to use them in home cooking. Try something truly creative in #FCL18. Gain a new appreciation for food science, and possibly a new hobby!