The Science of Gastronomy: Exploring Food and Flavor
Discover the scientific principles behind cooking and food enjoyment. Learn how biology, chemistry, and physics influence taste and flavor.
Discover the scientific principles behind cooking and food enjoyment. Learn how biology, chemistry, and physics influence taste and flavor.
Embark on a fascinating journey into the science of food and cooking with this engaging course from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Led by instructor King Lau Chow, this program offers a unique blend of scientific principles and culinary exploration. Through a series of video lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on assignments, you'll gain a deep understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical processes that underpin our experience of food. The course covers a wide range of topics, including energy transfer in cooking, the physiological basis of hunger and satiety, and the complex interplay of our senses in perceiving flavor. You'll explore how factors such as color, texture, and aroma influence our perception of taste, and learn about the scientific rationale behind various cooking techniques. By examining topics like the Maillard reaction, flavor pairing, and the manipulation of food textures, you'll gain insights that can be applied to improve your own cooking and dining experiences. This course is designed to foster a deeper appreciation for the science behind gastronomy, enabling you to approach cooking and eating with a more informed and analytical perspective.
4.6
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پښتو, বাংলা, اردو, 4 more
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What you'll learn
Understand the scientific principles of energy transfer in cooking
Explore the physiological basis of hunger, satiety, and flavor perception
Analyze the role of different senses (taste, smell, sight, touch) in food enjoyment
Examine the chemical basis of taste and aroma in foods
Investigate how color and visual appearance influence taste perception
Understand the factors affecting food texture and mouthfeel
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
6.71 Hours PreRecorded video
9 assignments
Access on Mobile, Tablet, Desktop
FullTime access
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There are 7 modules in this course
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the scientific principles underlying cooking and food enjoyment. The curriculum is divided into seven modules, each focusing on different aspects of food science and sensory perception. Students will learn about energy transfer in cooking, the physiology of hunger and satiety, and the complex interplay of our senses in perceiving flavor. The course covers topics such as taste perception, olfaction, visual influence on taste, and texture analysis. Through a combination of video lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on assignments, learners will gain practical insights into how scientific principles can be applied to cooking and food preparation. The program also explores the chemical and physical properties of fruits and vegetables, and how these can be manipulated in cooking. By the end of the course, participants will have developed a scientific understanding of gastronomy, enabling them to approach cooking and eating with a more informed and analytical perspective.
Orientation Module 1: Energy Transfer
Module 1 · 1 Hours to complete
Module 2: Hunger and Satiety
Module 2 · 3 Hours to complete
Module 3: The Sense of Taste
Module 3 · 2 Hours to complete
Module 4: The Sense of Smell
Module 4 · 2 Hours to complete
Module 5: The Sense of Sight
Module 5 · 1 Hours to complete
Module 6: The Sense of Touch
Module 6 · 2 Hours to complete
Module 7: Fruits and Vegetables Final Exam
Module 7 · 2 Hours to complete
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Instructor
Expert in Cell Biology and Innovative Educator at HKUST
Prof. King Lau Chow received his PhD in Cell Biology from Baylor College of Medicine and was a Belfer Fellow at Albert Einstein College of Medicine before joining The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His research focuses on the molecular genetics of body patterning, neural development, synthetic and evolutionary biology, utilizing a laboratory that works with diverse model organisms. Prof. Chow has experimented extensively with various teaching pedagogies, including exploratory project courses, MOOCs, and flipped classrooms. His innovative teaching methods have earned him the Science School Teaching Award and the Michael G. Gale Medal for Distinguished Teaching at HKUST.
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4.6 course rating
752 ratings
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