Culinary Science

MARCELO KNOBEL

“Smell of home, flavor with comfort. This is what homemade bread fresh out of the oven is like.” I read this sentence on a recipe page on the Internet and, in fact, it made my mouth water... Who had the brilliant idea of ​​mixing such simple ingredients, to end up with something so special? This question arises not only with bread, but also with other delicacies that we enjoy daily.

It's incredible to note that we are the only creatures on the face of the earth who eat processed and cooked foods (except, of course, domestic animals!). This ability to season, prepare and modify raw foods is closely related to the development of human beings. In addition to important physical and physiological changes, such as bipedal movement and the growth of our brain, our ancestors also began the first steps in this empirical science of cooking food. Cooked foods are easier to digest, safer to store, and were probably the most effective means of introducing complex proteins into the human diet. It is estimated that, by introducing the practice of barbecue, primitive hunters managed to at least double their calorie intake. When cooking some roots, some toxic or bad-tasting ingredients become edible, and even pleasant. All of these factors probably helped in the intellectual development of the species, which finally emerged around 100 years ago.

Just as we have evolved, cuisine has also evolved. Millions and millions of trials and errors gradually led to the improvement of recipes that were consolidated in different regions of the planet. It was only a matter of time before prehistoric “chefs” noticed that some special ways of preparing food modified and improved the flavor. Grilled meat, for example, has established itself as one of the tastiest ways of preparing it. Why? On the one hand, the surface of the meat hardens because the juice evaporates and the proteins coagulate; on the other hand, the constituents of the meat react chemically to form aromatic and colored molecules, forming a crispy and tasty crust. Once inside the meat, the collagen molecules that make the meat rigid degrade, and the meat softens (this occurs around 70 to 80ºC). The thermal energy in this case is enough to break the weakest bonds between the atoms of certain molecules, denaturing the proteins. The denatured proteins resemble long threads that unwind and begin to wave in all directions. At this point the meat hardens a little (but not much), as the proteins can come into contact with other proteins in the neighborhood, binding to them, or rather, coagulating. However, if cooking is prolonged, the water molecules that remain attached to the proteins are expelled, and the meat becomes too tough. In other words, the cook must find an optimal point that degrades the collagen, but prevents the proteins, having coagulated at around 70-80ºC, from drying out and hardening. In fact, there are several ways to accomplish this feat: by cooking the meat quickly, the juices are prevented from spreading to the outside, and the meat remains juicy. There are thousands of other secrets that good weekend grillers don't share with anyone, but which probably have a scientific explanation.

There are certainly many myths and legends in culinary practice, but without a doubt there are also irrefutable truths. In many recipes, the order in which the ingredients are added is of vital importance. In others, just hit with a little more force, or for a much longer time than indicated, and the result is simply disastrous. When working on the stove or in the oven, any cook knows how careful they must be when dealing with temperature and its variations, which can ruin a very complicated recipe. In a way similar to science, this knowledge is transmitted and passed on, through the publication of recipes, family tips, and television programs. Each recipe is recycled, adapted, improved and, naturally, evolves.

In addition to the enrichment of recipes, the methods of processing and cooking food, and subsequently the food itself, have also evolved over time. Nowadays, culinary science has the help of powerful analysis methods, which detect, for example, the presence of aromatic compounds in homeopathic concentrations, but with a preponderant role. But this knowledge does not necessarily translate into better preparation methods. Just as in science, in cooking we also depend on insights from great masters, who can, like no one else, harmoniously combine ingredients, create unusual combinations and create unparalleled flavors and aromas. In these moments, culinary science undergoes revolutions and transformations, and is indisputably confused with art.

Marcelo Knobel is a professor at the “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics