planet science diner... why cook your food?
have you ever wondered why we bother cooking food?
If you can imagine what your Sunday roast and vegetables would taste like if you ate them raw then, you’ll have a few ideas.
Cooking makes food taste better by bringing out and combining its flavours. It can also make some types of food easier to chew and digest by softening it.
And don’t forget the power of smell… If something’s cooking nearby your nose will soon let you know as aromas are released. The smell and changed colour of cooked food generally makes it more appetising (providing you haven’t burnt it of course!)
And finally, cooking food destroys harmful micro-organisms that could otherwise make you ill.
So how does cooking work?
Underneath that hat, every masterchef is an expert scientist … Here are some of the chemical and physical processes they put to use:
- Heat transfer
- Denaturing protein
- Browning reactions
- Destruction of micro-organisms
- Vegetables
- Raising agents
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