Food preparation is such a routine activity that everyone is associated with it somehow or the other. Although everyone loves to question the taste of food or presentation but we do not often question the process.
We all like to eat what we are comfortable with or for what we have developed taste, but are we ready for a transition is what we need to know.
Moleculary gastronomy or modernist cuisine
Molecular gastronomy or modernist cuisine is such a revolutionary change that has been making big headlines in kitchens throughout the world.
For many years, these molecular transformations were neglected by the food science field. In 1988, the scientific discipline called “molecular gastronomy” was created, and the field has been developing in many countries including India.
Molecular gastronomy has led to “molecular cooking” or modernist cuisine, a way of food preparation that uses “new” tools, ingredients, and methods.
Food prepared from using these modern techniques does not just look good, but also goes far from the conventional texture that we are used to. There is a new breed of chefs that makes meal in most unexpected ways like Ferran Adria (El Bulli, in Spain), Heston Blumenthal (Fat Ducks, in UK), Grant Achatz (Alinea USA) and Sabby (Olive Bar & Kitchen, India) - imagine spaghetti made out of tomato soup, fruit juice caviar that just burst in your mouth, or floating clouds that taste like preserved lemon.
New methods
Cooking has gone from everyday drudgery of boiling, chopping, and frying to spherification, gelification and emulsification.
This science is just not limited to food only but it can be used to define and change the texture of drinks also, imagine having Mojito bubbles that just burst in your mouth or Martini bites with your food or having soup which is not liquid but solid in appearance.
To make this textural change in the food there are various techniques that are used. These are Spherification; Gelification; Emulsification; Effervescence; and Transformation.
SPHERIFICATION
It is the culinary process of shaping a liquid into spheres of liquid held by a thin gel membrane which visually and texturally resembles caviar ravioles with liquid interior that bursts in the mouth when eaten. Sodium alginate is added to preparation, and then it is dripped in to a calcium bath to form spheres and finally rinsing with water.
Additives used
Sodium alginate
Sodium alginate is a salt extracted from the viscous liquid from the cell wall of brown algae. The food processing industry uses the thickening properties of alginate in sauces, syrups and some products containing milk.
Calcium salts
Calcium lactate is used to regulate the acidity of certain foods in order to influence the development of essential bacteria found there. Thus it improves the taste and texture of these foods. It can enter into the composition of baking powders in bakery products.
GELIFICATION
It is the process of turning a liquid into gel which is a solid, jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough.
Additives used
Agar-agar
It is a natural gelling substance stemming from the cell walls of red algae; it has long been used in Asian cooking. The name agar-agar is of Malay-Indonesian origin and means jelly.
The agar-agar gel will retain its firmness even when subjected to temperatures grazing 85°C (185°F), unlike gel-based gelatin, which melts at 37°C (99°F). It does not impart flavour or smell to mixtures; it actually promotes the release of other aromas in the mouth.
The remarkable heat resistance of agar-agar gels makes them excellent stabilisers and thickeners in pie fillings, icings and meringues.
Gelatin
Gelatin is a protein food additive obtained by hydrolysis of collagen, the most common animal protein. Gelatin is popular in many meat dishes to which it provides smoothness, flavour and sheen. It is also used in a variety of other dishes: aspics, terrines, mousses, jellies. Desserts are certainly no exception: Bavarian cream, panna cotta, mousse, trifle.
EMULSIFICATION
It is the process of turning a liquid into light air foam.
Additive used
Soy lecithin
lecithin is an emulsifier extracted from soy beans it is also present in egg yolk and is used as an emulsifier in many traditional sauce recipes such as mayonnaise and hollandaise.
EFFERVESCENCE
It is the escape of gas from another body and the foaming or fizzing that results from the release of the gas.
Additive used
Popping sugar
Popping sugar comes in the shape of small bits of melted sugars (such as sucrose, lactose and glucose syrup) within which carbon dioxide has been introduced.
In order to make popping sugar, the sugar mix must be melted and then cooled down in the presence of pressurised carbon dioxide so that gas is trapped in the sugar.
It can be used to make fun confectionaries like toffees, candies, or lollipops, which when bitten into, the carbon dioxide is released with a popping effect.
TRANSFORMATION
Changing the texture of liquid items like oil or chocolate sauce into powder.
Additive used
Malto dextrin
Malto dextrin is an unsweet sugar that can be flavoured in many different ways. They are obtained through partial hydrolysis (or decomposition) of corn, wheat, potato or tapioca starch.
Malto dextrin is a significant part of the content of powdered energy drinks used by athletes. It is also often used as filler in manufactured foods. Furthermore, its properties make it an excellent aroma carrier.
Problems associated with this change
Loss of tradition
As food is one of the essential forms to depict culture and traditions of a country, the use of molecular gastronomy or modernist technique changes that and does not put up the exact food as associated with the region.
Government rules & regulations
Like Italian government banning the use of chemicals in their cuisine, similarly many governments have regulations regarding the use of chemicals in food preparing establishments.
Expensive
Restaurants making food with modernistic cuisine are expensive as compared to others because of the use of expensive chemicals and the unique experience they offer.
Myths regarding ingredients
Most of the people believe that the use of chemicals to change textures and appearance may cause harmful effects on human body.
Ushering into change
Molecular gastronomy is a change that is very much changing the concept of food preparation, the way we think, the way we taste, the way we see our food.
We should break away from the myths generated by old house chefs that these ingredients are bad for health, as most of the ingredients that are used in this cuisine are used in the food processing industry in producing different products.
But we should always keep in mind not to overdo the form as excess of anything is bad be it the additives used in modernistic cuisine or a simple oil or sugar used in everyday cookery.
Modernist cuisine or molecular gastronomy is a revolution in food production and it is certainly a change that must be embraced and mixed with conventional food to create a unique experience.
