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.

543 questions
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Why doesn't chocolate go bad?

After all, chocolate has oil and sugar in it. Why don't bacteria love it? Thanks!
Adam C
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What is the chemical process behind the way you cook a risotto?

Cooking risotto seems to differ from regular rice in two important ways: you stir the risotto regularly you only introduce liquid a little bit at a time What is the effect of these two steps chemically on the rice that yields such a different…
yossarian
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Why does tomato sauce spatter more than other sauces?

Of all the (thick) sauces and creams I prepare in a hot pot, tomato sauce is the most jumpy. When it's hot, it's impossible to cook properly without having it jump everywhere and repaint the walls, and in general the surroundings. Of course, using a…
Gnoupi
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Can something have more sugar per 100g than the percentage of sugar that's in it?

If this is the wrong place to ask this, please direct me to the correct place. I am a big fan of cereal, and I like to eat a fair amount, but don't like to have too much sugar. I recently started eating Shreddies, which claims to have only 13g of…
NotAPro
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Why do red onions turn blue or green when cooking sometimes?

I cooked a pot of beans with some red onions last night. Today for lunch when I got them out of the fridge, all of the onions had turned a blue/green colour! They still taste ok, but sure looks unappetizing! Any ideas what's going on here?
Chris AtLee
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Garlic turning green?

When I try to make garlic bread or, in general, something where the garlic is not in a liquid, it sometimes turns green while cooking! It's worth noting that the taste doesn't seem to really be "off", but the color certainly isn't appetizing.…
Lee
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Can food be boiled "extra fast/hard" in water?

Once water is boiling you can either leave the heat on quite high, or turn it down a bit so that it just keeps boiling. Apart from extra water vaporating, does this have any effect on the taste of food you're boiling (meat, vegetables, eggs,…
Jeroen
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How can I tell whether an egg has been hard-boiled, through the shell?

At my workplace, there's a mysterious carton of eggs in the common refrigerator. Nobody I've asked knows whether they're raw or cooked. Is there a way to tell, without cracking one of the eggs open?
Andres Jaan Tack
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How do tamales cook?

We just steamed a couple dozen tamales and I'm entirely baffled by the idea that they cook over hours. How? Why? What's happening? I initially figured I could check for doneness with a temperature probe. After less than 30 minutes, the probe read…
rtf
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Room temperature "rest" for fresh mayo?

On the mayonnaise episode of Good Eats, Alton Brown recommends letting homemade mayo sit at room temperature for 4-8 hours before refrigerating. The idea is to let the acid in the mayo kill any bacteria that might have been in the egg yolk. Sound…
Caleb
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Does the preparation of chicken liver mousse require force feeding of chickens?

The force feeding of ducks or geese required to prepare foie gras (French "fatty liver") is widely known and banned in some states. I was at a restaurant last night which offered "Chicken Liver Mousse." It was creamy, delicious, and quite…
user3871
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What determines how well cheese melts

I have had my fair share of eating cheese and experimenting with them. Sometimes they come out heavenly while other times, it turn out to be a huge flop. Usually when it flops, it's because I am expecting the cheese to melt and it doesn't. So my…
Jay
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Why don't dry bread crumbs spoil, when bread does?

Why don't store-bought bread crumbs spoil? Can you make your own bread crumbs and save them for later use? Will homemade breadcrumbs mold?
brooke
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The science of confit

In recent weeks I have made both duck leg and pork belly confit with rich tasting and great texture results. I want to experiment with this technique further but to do so, and avoid wasting meat and fat, I'd like to understand the science behind the…
colethecoder
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What job is the fat doing when I prepare bread dough, and what to expect if I use the wrong amount?

I've been baking bread for years and no longer really measure the ingredients. But I'm no expert on the science of what I'm doing. I add fat (lard) because I've always added fat. What job does the fat do? And if I have long been using too little or…
Tea Drinker
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