It is no longer news that chefs are seasoning their craft with more than a pinch of science and simmering them within a technological stock. It has also become less exceptional that food science departments incorporate some elements of (the science of) cooking in their curricula. That begs the question: Are the 'scientific' approach to cooking and the culinary-based approach to (food) science here to stay? The genuine interest on the phenomenon of cooking from those practicing the 'pure sciences' (e.g. physics); the creation of 'culinary science' programs in cooking schools; the creation of ElBulli Foundation; and the growing list of (peer-reviewed) publications on these topics seem to indicate that the answer is yes. While I welcome all these activities, I think there is a need for a more articulated and cohesive vision of the social  benefits that these approaches enable. I will take a stab at this and offer my own vision; because only with a vision we can secure the much needed funding to continue to make the case that all cooking is molecular.

From Savarin, Adria & Blumenthal via von Liebig, Kurti & McGee: What does the future hold for the science of cooking?

248th National Meeting (2014)

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