Scientific literacy is the new literacy, and cooking and feeding can engage undergraduates to develop this literacy and enhance their critical thinking and problem solving skills. The culinary medium (i.e. ingredients, cooking techniques, and human senses) presents a unique and valuable opportunity for educators to engage students with principles of chemistry, physics, and biology and spark interests in research and scientific inquiry. The Culinary Institute of America's Department of Culinary Science has developed a cross-disciplinary curriculum that provides academic scaffolding for experiential science education.  Courses in the Culinary Science major include Culinary Chemistry, Heat Transfer and the Physical Properties of Food, Flavor Science and Perception, and Microbial Ecology of the Kitchen, amongst other kitchen-lab-based, research-focused classes. This presentation will describe the core principles and key learning objectives of the field of Culinary Science. Peer-reviewed research conducted in the Culinary Science Department, that brings together chefs, scientists, and students, will also be discussed.

Enhancing science education and developing a cross-disciplinary research program through the culinary medium

248th National Meeting (2014)

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