Molecular Gastronomy in the UK
Molecular Gastronomy – a definition
Molecular Gastronomy (MG) is a new science - the application of scientific principlesto the understanding and improvement of domestic and gastronomic foodpreparation. Molecular Gastronomy is distinct from traditional food science in that it isprimarily concerned with small, rather than large scale preparation of food. Further,Molecular Gastronomy treats the experience of eating food as a whole:- from the rawingredients, through the preparation of a dish to its appreciation by the consumer. Itis thus a strongly interdisciplinary subject involving the physical sciences, biology andbiochemistry, physiology and psychology.We see MG as being a highly interdisciplinary activity, bringing scientists from allareas – Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Physiology, Engineering, etc.together with people working in all areas of the food industry (from producers throughprocessors to chefs).
How does MG work in the UK?
What makes MG work is that people who would never be likely to be interested inconventional food science (seeing it perhaps as beneath them, or because theydistrust or dislike the mass processing involved) are very happy to become involved.All of us in the sciences and in the restaurant business are very busy people with ourown agendas. Scientists have their own research projects and, to survive in theacademic world have to obtain and retain research grants, and produce a steadystream of high quality publications in their own discipline.This makes it hard to justify helping others in different disciplines – there just has tosomething in it for you. But in the case of MG it seems any scientist who is asked to join in immediately comes aboard with open arms.The reason is simple. There are immediate, tangible results and benefits. If you cansee your work going to produce fantastic food - and are able not only invited to eat it,but are also able to learn how to make it for yourself – you are more likely to givefreely of your valuable time.In the UK, there is not as yet any formal structure to the MG networks that havesprung up. Basically, we work as a loose network of individual chefs and scientistswho talk regularly by phone and email and ehlp each other sort out any problems.It is important to most of us that the activity is driven by the food, rather than by thescience. This may seem strange at first sight, but it works because it is almostinevitable that when you ask ant question about what makes good food there is anopportunity for one of the scientists involved to do some research that is directly in(or at least close to) his (or her) own area of interest. By offering mutual supportevery body gains (and we all get to eat better and better!)For example, a question that has been posed is “why does the same dish taste betterdepending on where it is eaten?”This led to a little simple research to check it was true – the conclusion was thatsurroundings do affect the appreciation of food. It was not found that food tasted anybetter if it was “local” though.That led to one of our physiologists thinking about the biochemical aspects ofpleasure; we put him in touch with a psychologist who also works with MG from timeto time and they joined up with a chemist who had a magnetic resonance scanner tolook further.A few months later and they had formed a firm alliance and shortly later obtainedmajor funding from the Medical Research Council for a study of Brain chemistry.
It is this sort of unexpected spin-off that drives some of the best scientists in thecountry to want to be associated with MG. In exchange for a good meal, more orless any good scientist can be persuaded to offer a few suggestions about how anovel problem (e.g. how to make a foamed hot jelly with two or three differentflavours trapped in the bubbles). Then once hooked they just keep on coming backfor more!
Where is MG going in the UK?
I cannot speak for all of those who are involved in the wide variety of MG activitiesthat are going on, mostly in pair-wise interactions. So I have outlined below my ownambitions for MG in the UK.British food is widely regarded as the worst in Europe, if not the developed world.This is false. We have in Britain some of the finest chefs in the world and a strongtradition of good wholesome food. The new science of Molecular Gastronomy isbeing driven by British scientists and chefs to improve this situation.Over the next few years we hope that various institutions within the UK will run arange of courses (in the long term these will include a taught Masters programme)and workshops, and publish newsletters and journals.The ethos of open discussion will be very important in facilitating the free exchangeof ideas and concepts. In particular, many chefs find it difficult to share their ideasand often jealously protect their own recipes. By holding workshops in an openacademic environment and by having a number of Associates who are themselvestop chefs who are fully prepared to share their own ideas we hope to create anappropriate atmosphere.We intend to restore the reputation of the UK and make it widely recognised asamongst the leading nations in terms of the food we eat.The main objectives are:
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To carry out a range of Research and Development projects covering all aspectsof Molecular Gastronomy.
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To organise workshops and courses for professionals to exchange ideas anddevelop new Molecular Gastronomy concepts.
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To improve science and home economics teaching in schools by introducing foodrelated examples and experiments.
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To develop the use of Molecular Gastronomy in top restaurants to createopportunities for chefs to improve and create new dishes, etc.
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To publish regular newsletters, a Journal of Molecular Gastronomy and a seriesof text books on all aspects of Molecular Gastronomy.
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To develop cooking techniques and novel dishes which allow "healthy" eatingwithout compromising flavour or texture.
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To contribute to the making of the UK the foremost food nation at all levels.
Educational aspects
Several of those who have been involved with the develop0ment of MG see that ithas the potential to play an important role in education – not only to improve theappreciation of good food, but also (and for some of us more importantly) to use themedium of good food and cooking to engender a greater understanding andappreciation of the sciences.We wish both to improve science and home economics teaching by making it morerelevant and to encourage families to eat together and discuss the food so leading tobetter communication and cohesiveness of family units.
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Molecular Gastronomy in the UK
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| Upload Date: | 03/02/2009 |
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