Science in Our Everyday Lives - Cooking
By Ariana Bui
When learning about science subjects like chemistry, one might question: Why am I studying this when I don’t want to have a career in science? What’s the point of understanding something like chemical reactions when I don’t want to be a chemist? This line of questioning might cause disinterest in the subject. However, there is actually a large intersection between science and society that many people might not notice. Without even realizing it, we apply science in many of our everyday activities. For instance, when we cook, we might not think science is important. However, chemical reactions play a vital role in cooking, and one’s understanding of these reactions can help improve their cooking.
For instance, when cooking, we commonly use salt as an ingredient. While it is often used to alter taste, salt also has other effects in cooking. When cooking pasta, it is well known to add salt to the water for flavor. What people might not know is that adding in salt also has an effect on the water’s boiling point. Salt will raise the water's boiling point, and the higher temperature will help the pasta cook faster.
Another time we can observe a chemical reaction is when we cut fruit. After cutting apples, people will eventually notice the apple browning if not eaten right away. This is because an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase is released from the cells of the apple and reacts with the oxygen in the air causing the fruit to turn brown. However, we can slow this process from happening by coating the fruit in some lemon juice. This works because lemon juice contains ascorbic acid and has a low, acidic pH level. The ascorbic acid helps stop the enzymatic browning from occurring by reacting with oxygen before polyphenol oxidase has a chance to. Since the browning cannot occur unless polyphenol oxidase comes into contact with oxygen, the apple will stay fresh for longer. The lower pH level of the lemon juice also helps by lowering the pH of the fruit. Polyphenol oxidase works best when pH is in the range of 5 to 7 and lemon juice has a pH level of about 2, so lowering the pH of the fruit helps keep the polyphenol oxidase inactive.
One more notable instance of science in cooking is the Maillard reaction. Named after Louis-Camille Maillard, this chemical reaction is the basis of the distinctive taste of browned foods including seared steaks, fried dumplings, cookies, and toasted marshmallows. The Maillard reaction largely consists of many smaller reactions. It occurs when carbohydrates (sugars) and proteins react with each other. When they bind together, a browning pigment called melanoidal complexes are produced. Melanoidins are produced without the aid of enzymes, and this makes it distinctive from the browning process commonly seen in fruits, enzymatic browning, which was mentioned in the previous paragraph. Besides melanoidins, hundreds of other organic compounds are formed. The food becomes denser and small components will break off of the chain. All of this will contribute to the food’s flavor and aroma.
Overall, everyone who cooks applies chemical reactions, even if it is not a conscious thought. A lot of times, people might brush off their STEM classes because they believe it will not have any value in their everyday lives. However, hopefully by teaching them that science is actually extremely applicable to everyone’s everyday lives they might be more excited and interested when it comes to science.
