Category - Understanding Food Ingredients

Bastognekoeken ice cream with just 3 ingredients

Understanding Food Ingredients

Science of carrageenan – Thickening and gelling foods with seaweed

Have you also noticed that a lot of store bought chocolate milks do not split whereas in your homemade chocolate milk the cocoa powder sinks down in a matter of minutes? Have you wondered how store bought ice cream is...

July 9, 2018

6 min read

bacon slices, baked in the oven on at tray

Understanding Food Ingredients

On British vs American vs Canadian Bacon

When visiting Great Britain, there are a few things you should try: an afternoon tea (with scones and clotted cream), fish and chips and, of course, an English breakfast. Although, I do have to admit, I am not a fan of...

June 12, 2018

5 min read

Understanding Food Ingredients

Brussel Sprouts – On bitterness & Glucosinolates

For as long as I can remember Brussel sprouts have been one of my favorite foods to eat. Up to this day that is still the case, I still enjoy eating those mini cabbages, whether it’s boiled, grilled or sauteed...

May 28, 2018

5 min read

freshly harvested carrots, crinky and wobbly

Understanding Food Ingredients

Vegetable and fruit texture – On turgor and plant cells

Poached pears are soft and juicy, whereas a ripe fresh pear has a nice crunch to it. Raw carrots crunch and you need a firm bite to break a bit of, but, the carrots which have been boiling in your soup for more than an...

May 28, 2018

10 min read

Understanding Food Ingredients

Why kale leaves shrink upon cooking – Leafy vs root vs stem vegetables

Long before kale was a super food, and a real hit in foodie land, we Dutch in the Netherlands used to eat it plenty during the winter months. We’d use it to make ‘boerenkoolstamppot’ which is...

May 26, 2018

6 min read

How whisk(e)y gets its flavour

What’s the similarity between vanilla ice cream and whisky? Any clue? It’s the vanilla. Whisky often contains vanilla flavours, just like ice cream does. But no vanilla bean has been added to whisky of...

March 14, 2018

23 min read

fresh fruits on the cheesecak, ready for the last bake

Ripening of fruits & vegetables – On Ethylene and (non)-Climacteric

Should you buy a banana ripe or unripe? And what about strawberries? Or pineapple, avocado, green beans or Brussels sprouts? Your first reaction might be that it depends. It can depend on when you’ll be eating it...

March 4, 2018

6 min read

2 ingredient vanilla ice cream - top view

Understanding Food Ingredients

Why emulsifiers & stabilizers are added into ice cream

Have you ever looked closely at the label of your ice cream containers? If you did, you might have noticed ingredients on there that you don’t normally use when making ice cream at home. Often, these are called...

February 12, 2018

7 min read

Understanding Food Ingredients

Choosing meat for a stew – Beef pie

Have you ever bought a beautiful piece of meat, tried to fry it in a frying pan, but no matter what you did, ended up with a leathery, tough piece of meat? Did it turn out dry and certainly not juicy? If so...

December 14, 2017

8 min read

Understanding Food Ingredients

Pumpkin Puree – The science of pumpkins & pectin

All of a sudden, somewhere in September, supermarkets start filling up with pumpkins. The common orange, but also green, yellow and even blueish pumpkins. Pumpkins work great in a lot of dishes, whether it’s pies...

November 22, 2017

6 min read

Category - Understanding Food Ingredients

Science of carrageenan – Thickening and gelling foods with seaweed

On British vs American vs Canadian Bacon

Brussel Sprouts – On bitterness & Glucosinolates

Vegetable and fruit texture – On turgor and plant cells

Why kale leaves shrink upon cooking – Leafy vs root vs stem vegetables

How whisk(e)y gets its flavour

Ripening of fruits & vegetables – On Ethylene and (non)-Climacteric

Why emulsifiers & stabilizers are added into ice cream

Choosing meat for a stew – Beef pie

Pumpkin Puree – The science of pumpkins & pectin

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How apple cider (alcoholic) is made

What are oliebollen? – The ‘Dutch donut’

Hydrox vs. Oreo cookies

How pressure cooking works – Using an InstantPot

How to scale up a food production process?

Why cream cheese works great in ice cream

The uniqueness of Trappist beer

Batch vs Continuous – Scaling up a food production process

Bread making process – An overview & Guide to tools for the bread maker

Candied cherries – Science of preserving cherries

Why does popcorn pop? – Exploring the science of popcorn

Science of roasting marshmallows – Over a campfire or barbecue

Beer fermentation process

Blueberry orange zestmuffin – Using IBM’s Chef Watson

Almond paste recipe – A seasonal bread: Kerststol

Category - Understanding Food Ingredients

Hi!

Become a food science pro!

Looking for something?

How can we help you?

Just curious