AYLİN ÖNEY TAN
Cooking is science
Our food world is complex. From simple everyday food at homes to sophisticated gastronomic experiences at high-end restaurants, there are various techniques that are involved in cooking. How we cook is almost an innate habit we have. Our food culture and cooking methods have evolved with the accumulation of years of experience. The tastes we like or dislike, how we enjoy our food is the legacy of past generations. Our geography rules what we eat, what we favor, what we consume. In most cases our beliefs and traditions are shaped around what our environment gives us as food. The story of our food is not only confined to the kitchen. Feeding the world population is the major concern of humankind. From sowing to harvesting, from foraging to hunting, the human mind is constantly occupied with how to get food on the table. Since the very first act of cutting the meat or grinding the grain, mankind is constantly developing ways of preparing food. In the modern times, with the enormous development in industrial food systems, our food world is in an ever-expanding stage. Starting with the primeval fire, to the modern kitchen gadgets we use a variety of cooking techniques. What we actually do is simply apply science. Science is key to all aspects of food, even if the science behind the food is not always visible.
November 21 2021
