Molecular Gastronomy
Posted by Jules - February 23, 2007 at 11:02:49 pmI’ve always been a bit confused by the trendy term “molecular gastronomy” that is being tossed around like so much salt at trendy, contemporary restaurants such as El Bulli and Per Se. Molecular gastronomy as compared to… what? This term, coined by a professor who needed a catchier phrase for the science of food, is used to label the use of stabilizers, thickeners, gels, and modifiers to make our food “different”. That olive you eat is not an olive- ham foam- cheese air- solids that are liquidized and liquids that are solid- I suppose they want you to think about your food in a whole new existentialist light. It just feels rather gimmicky to me. How does this involve more molecular biology and chemistry than any of the “normal” cooking that occurs to warrant this pompous, vacuous term? To create foam? To make a gelatin gummy pea? How is that different and more elite than pouring a bowl of Jello? And applying the term molecular gastronomy to this whole endeaver of adding artifice to our foods… I might as well eat a raspberry gummy bear (made of apple, grape, and artificial flavors to simulate raspberry with not an iota of raspberry juice) and call it molecular gastronomy. Or eat some granola and extol the wonderful molecular gastronomy involved in sticking the oats together. Ths whole thing is rather silly. I think that the science of food is fascinating. But “molecular gastronomy” makes absolutely no sense to me… let’s just call it contemporary cuisine and I shall be a much happier soul.
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