Cooking Stack Exchange
Cooking Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [food-science]

All about the scientific theories behind food. Cooking myths debunked here.

Questions in this tag usually begin with "why", although the tag may also apply to more experimental science.

If you're looking for a scientific explanation of why a particular technique works (or doesn't work), or why some food looks or tastes the way it does, or if some common bit of cooking wisdom has ever been proven or disproven experimentally, then this tag is for you.

If you just want to know why your recipe didn't turn out right, please don't use this tag.

Note that we also have a tag which should be used for applied science questions, especially those on the subject of food additives such as buffers and hydrocolloids.

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Why add salt to the water when cooking pasta?

What is the effect of adding salt to the water when cooking pasta?
bryn
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Browning Avocados - What Helps?

Years ago Koobz asked "Oxidized Avocado: What's Going on & How to Prevent It?" That question has been merged with this one because it's dealing with the same issue. Recently, we had this question: Are limes and lime juice more acidic than lemons and…
Jolenealaska
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Cooking away alcohol

When you cook with wine or spirits, when does the alcohol cook away? Obviously high temperatures will do it, but how low of temperatures will work? Also, does it vary by the type of alcohol?
Dinah
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Why should I soak beans before cooking?

Every recipe says I should soak beans in water overnight before cooking. Why? I did some experiments. I have tried soaked and unsoaked beans from the same batch. There was no difference in cooking time, taste, structure or color. Even farts were the…
Fczbkk
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Why can applesauce be used in place of oil?

In many recipes, mostly desserts, it is suggested that you can substitute oil with applesauce to reduce the fat content. But why applesauce? Is there something special about applesauce or are there other ingredients than can be used?
Brian Ortiz
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Why is eating pretzels safe when they are bathed in lye?

I read many recipes of pretzels and they required to dip the raw dough in a bath of lye. As anyone should know for their own safety, lye is caustic and shouldn't be ingested. What is the process involved that make them edible? Edit: I am aware of…
A.D.
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Why do some foods taste better the next day?

Many people think that certain foods, like lasagna, many stews and hearty soups, tomato sauce and so forth taste better the next day. My question is, is that really true, and if so, why? The conventional answer is essentially, "the flavors marry",…
Michael Natkin
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Why does a brown paper bag speed ripening?

I often see this technique suggested as a way to speed ripening. Why does it? Also, is there any data available on how fast it ripens comparatively?
hobodave
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Why should (or shouldn't) we wash rice before cooking?

There are pretty confusing articles on this topic on the internet. Some suggest that we should wash them to remove starch, talc, etc. Some suggest that we should not wash them because they are fortified with minerals. This also varies according to…
Cool_Coder
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What does "natural" actually mean?

More and more I see "natural" or "all natural" labels on the slightly-cheaper alternatives next to "organic" products, and I find it somewhat confusing. I know that (for example) tofu does not occur in nature, so obviously "natural" does not refer…
Robert
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Resources that explain the science of cooking?

I have been cooking for a while now, but its mostly what I picked up watching others cook. Now, I am an engineer by profession, and it seems there ought to be a reason for cooking food the way it is done. I'm curious to understand the science of…
Sripathi Krishnan
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Should pasta be started in cold or boiling water?

There are two main methods, either putting the strands into water already at boiling point, or putting them in cold water and then putting on the heat. Which method is the best to cook pasta? Does it make a difference if you add pasta to cold or…
Laila
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Why do tomatoes get so hot?

Ever noticed how certain foods seem to get a lot hotter than others? I almost never burn my tongue or mouth... except on tomatoes; Pizza sauce, tomatoes in panini sandwiches or spaghetti sauce. Tomatoes always seem to get hotter and retain their…
Daniel Bingham
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How did replacing flour in muffins go so wrong?

I had a whole bag of Cocoa Puffs that had gone stale, and thought it would be fun to mess around and see if I could bake something with them. So I aimed for muffins. I more or less based it on a banana muffin recipe I make all the time: 2 1/2 cups…
the-baby-is-you
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Theoretical: why there's no gradient of doneness in bread?

I was always wondering, why there's no gradient of doneness visible on the cuts of bigger breads. For example: This one was made in the baking form, it has a thin visible crust, but after that the texture is absolutely uniform. How is that happens…
Sergey Mikhanov
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