The Science of Food and Culinary Art

Culinary Arts is the study of preparation and presentation of food. In accordance with the behavioral changes of humanity, and with the advent of the industrialized society, with people working away from home and with no time to cook and eat their meals, the need for fast food – or fast food – arose. On the other hand, with changes in people's eating habits, new rules, and even laws, for regulating the production and sale of food in the industrialized society also emerged.

The science of food and culinary art seeks to explain and outline the basic fundamentals of the previous and cooking processes that are applied to different foods when "cooking". All ingredients, even the simplest, both vegetable and animal, are very complex biochemical systems. For this reason, an attempt will be made to explain as simply as possible the physical and chemical processes that take place during the cooking and preparation of the most typical culinary products. In the multiple reactions that take place, molecules dissociate, regroup and create new molecules, clear examples are: the formation of aromatic components on the surface of a roast, the blackening of peeled potatoes, the softening of rice when cooked, etc.

The study of food science is in the hands of culinary chemistry or "cookology." Many years ago Brillat-Savarin made an important revision on the culinary knowledge of his time. In the 1930s, Edouard Pomiane believed he was inventing a new science that he called "gastrotechnics", a term that represented what Brillat-Savarin had previously called "gastronomy": "Gastronomy is the reasoned knowledge of everything related to man to nurture it. "

"Food and drinks, together with the oxygen in the air that surrounds us are essential for the continuation of our life, or in other words, indispensable for the growth and maintenance of our existence. In addition to satisfying the physiological needs, food and Drinking also fulfills many other activities, for example, the social contacts that are made during an event or during a work lunch, etc. Besides being one of the most fundamental ways to initiate contacts in any culture, we currently enjoy eating ".

Culinary techniques and utensils vary according to culture and adapt to the availability of ingredients and customs of each people. The first cooking tool was the hand itself, even when raw food was consumed. With the advent of fire, man felt the need to create utensils to stir food, as high temperatures did not allow handling. It was then that the discovery of ceramics and the production of the first pots and containers for the storage of water took place. With the discovery of metallurgy and other materials such as glass, household utensils were adapting and reached the variety available on the market today.

The cultural history of our planet could be based on the traditions and rituals surrounding food and drink. A well known French expression says "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are."

The French anthropologist Lévi-Strauss states: "The kitchen is the language in which a community expresses itself." Coenders adds to this statement: "culinary chemistry is the grammar of such language."

Understanding this fundamental science, in which there are answers to so many cooking and pastry techniques, concepts of food chemistry and physics as transversal content throughout the culinary career will make you a good culinarian.