Dr. Kitchens
Chemistry
4 March 2013
Chemistry Matters
Cooking is chemistry. Everything is essentially chemical reactions. If you don’t mix the correct amount of grams of one element with another the product can result to be horrendous. The formula of sugar is C12H22O11. When you mix a certain amount of that into a solution of water with the addition of tea you a drink called sweet tea. Let’s say you mix add more C12H22O11 than water. Then your product will be syrup; a completely different mixture and ingredient. You went from a drink to syrup all because you added the incorrect amount of one compound. Now with the same molecules of sugar, let’s add heat, air and water. When you stir these ingredients with dry heat
you get cotton candy. Wish is composed of nothing but carbohydrates and water. The added heat disperses the sugar and changes the state of the mixture from liquid to solid. Not enough heat will make it syrup and too much water will make it a drink. According to research, at any time you crack and fry an unfertilized egg, you reconstruct a protein called albumin. The proteins are held collectively by intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonds & hydrophobic relations. Heat interrupts these forces & alters the color of the yolk from clear to white. If you add NaCl to water, it will raise the boiling point of water. It will take longer for the water to boil. Therefore, with salt, you can increase the boiling point of water 5 degrees.
Another important concept of cooking is cleanliness. If the foods you eat are not properly handled and cooked, then you increase your chances of getting salmonella and other food related illnesses. If you heat you foods to proper temperatures you can eliminate the chances of bacteria’s and viruses being present. The DNA and structure of most viruses and bacteria are destroyed with heat, flame, water, salt, and other cooking elements. For instance, you may could a bloody burger but if you think, the cells and everything within the erythrocyte do not disappear. They are just simply destroyed and no longer living. The blood cells hop of the pan or fly away.
Cooking is chemistry without chemistry; most of today’s food would not exist. If you don’t mix the right amount of grams of one element with another the product can result in being a different food .Chemistry allows foods to diverse, creating an ample amount of new ingredients and foods from different cultures. Everything is fundamentally chemical reactions!