The history of the chili pepper is entwined with the history of Chinese Communism and the fiery temperament of the Sichuanese people, but why?
food science
Posted inBusiness & Tech, Food, Quotes, Science & Nature
“Beef and cheese are the most important ingredients… But really, cheese.”
Who’s moving America’s (1.3 billion pounds of) cheese? The Dairy Management Institute
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Mad Cheese Scientists Fighting to Save the Dairy Industry
Amid an historic glut, a secretive, government-sponsored entity is putting cheese anywhere it can stuff it.
Posted inFood, Nonfiction, Reading List
Seven Stories About the Science Behind Fast Food
Stories about how fast food co-opted science and technology to create more craveable products.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes, Science & Nature
The Race to the Bottom of the Sugar Bowl
Beth Kowitt, in Fortune, explores food manufacturers’ race to find a better sugar stand-in. But if sugar is a known health hazard, why don’t we just put less of it in food?
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
The Scientific Language of Cooking
Have dinner with Harold McGee, the academic-turned-cookbook author who paved the way for Alton Brown and a whole generation of culinary scientists.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
The Sight, Sound and Feel of Flavor
In 2012, the snack company Mondelez, the owner of Cadbury’s, made another misstep. When it changed the classic rectangular chunks of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk into curved segments, customers complained that the chocolate tasted “too sugary” and “sickly.” Spence and other researchers have found that curved shapes can enhance sweetness. In one experiment, diners reported that […]
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Why Do We Prefer Pink and Red Candy?
[Marcia] Mogelonsky speculated that red was nonthreatening and lacked the acidic quality that can turn people off lemons and other citruses. But it’s not only that. The importance of the color red, sometimes over or in place of specific flavors, is notable. What is fruit punch, when you think about it, but a generic, noncommittal […]