Molecular Gastronomy

What is your opinion about Molecular Gastronomy ?

Do you think that there is a future in this science ?

Here are some videos about Herve This one of the two "inventors" of Molecular Gastronomy.

Hervé This discusses molecular gastronomy with Louisa Chu

Building a Meal: From Molecular Gastronomy to Culinary Constructivism

Conférence d'Hervé This

Don´t have access to YouTube right now, but from what I read in the first link, there is definitely a future for this science. I´m thinking more along the lines of hopefully this science making it possible to make cooking times shorter (less use of fuel and possibly better chance of having more vitamins in cooked food), so that this could benefit poor people. But of course it´s very exciting to think of flavors being presented in ways never thought possible.
I saw a program on a Spanish restaurant called "El Bulli" where they "deconstruct" food. They have tangerine foam, tea that is hot on one side of the cup and cold on the other, they work with sous vide (not sure of the spelling).
A Guatemalan scientist who is well known for his work with grains and pulses is trying to develop a way to make corn masa flour by using extrusion. This would mean less use of fuel, less use of water and reduction or elimination of waste water if it were to replace the nixtamalization process.

IMO it's a load of chefs pretending to be scientists. All "molecular gastronomy" is is using food science and chemistry in a kitchen. I think it can be cool and fun but it's nothing all that new. I mean seeing Heston Blumenthal using a rotary evaporator in a kitchen and making it sound like some kind of huge leap forward is a bit baffling for a former chemist like me who used one every day at university for 6 years.

Ah it's fun but it's not all that!

IMO it's a load of chefs pretending to be scientists. All "molecular gastronomy" is is using food science and chemistry in a kitchen. I think it can be cool and fun but it's nothing all that new. I mean seeing Heston Blumenthal using a rotary evaporator in a kitchen and making it sound like some kind of huge leap forward is a bit baffling for a former chemist like me who used one every day at university for 6 years.

Ah it's fun but it's not all that!

I agree, GMO. All there is, is the use of food science and chemistry in kitchen. Nothing new to us, maybe. But it may be a whole new whole for chefs whom have never stepped into our world before!

I recalled watching Discovery's Dirty Jobs and the host was so amazed by the use of a magnetic stirrer with heating functions... and like you, I was thinking to myself, "what's so special? I'm using it on a daily basis."

A normal chef may not be able to extract flavors nor cook very efficiently without the knowledge of food chemistry. But chefs like Heston Blumenthal, Dave Arnold and Nils Noren have the knowledge and access to equipments that can bring food to the next level.

By doing what they do to amaze the general public, I believe it will also encourage more people to take up food science and want to know what this field is all about.

Anyone interested may also visit Nil/Dave's Cooking Issues blog.

Well... I love cooking! And I love cooking especially when its uber flashy!
Hehehe! For all those who love chemistry stuff in their cooking here is a great blog from Khymos!!!

Enjoy!
Filip

Haha. I know the Khymos website too. He has a fantastic hydrocolloid recipe for download.

Dear All,

fantastic hydrocolloid recipe for download

Absolutely ignorant regarding the content of this thread but the above item sounded suspiciously like a specialised high-colonic !

Rgds / Charles.C

hi,

on the one hand not entirely agree with GMO and Hongyun - at the early beginning come from Hervé This who is a famous researcher - I contacted him some years ago when I was a student, he's involved in a lot of scientific articles and has a big knowledge on various subjects.

on the other hand I discussed with some chefs in the past and they do not really take this method in consideration - a fashioned way of cooking but very requiring and not giving a real added value.

Last Spain is one of the leaders of this cook - El Bulli well known also in France to be at the forefront of this fashion,

The question is : what about the future of this kind of gastronomy?

Regards,

Emmanuel

Dear All,


Absolutely ignorant regarding the content of this thread but the above item sounded suspiciously like a specialised high-colonic !

Rgds / Charles.C

"high-colonic"?? Sounds like something to do with "colon"?? Definitely not good eats, Charles!

The hydrocolloids recipe that I mentioned contains a list of recipes that the author collected, using different gums like gelatin, agar, alginate, pectin, etc to prepare different kinds of food.

They can be found here.

@Emmanuel,

on the other hand I discussed with some chefs in the past and they do not really take this method in consideration - a fashioned way of cooking but very requiring and not giving a real added value.

You mentioned chefs in the past are not taking Molecular Gastronomy into consideration. But I do hope the new chefs nowadays will take on more interest in food chemistry and use it to cook up something unique.

why not? perhaps one of the development ways of the traditional cook for the future. Obviously a show when you look at the preparation of the dish but concerning the taste of the products I must confess Iv'e never eaten sthg similar so I can't give you my feedback,

Regards,

Emmanuel