CH391L/S13/Molecular Gastronomy

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Molecular Gastronomy


Nicholas Kurti
Nicholas Kurti
Herve This
Herve This

Molecular gastronomy is a culinary science in which the chemical and physical properties of different foods are used in the creation of innovative and artistic foods. Though not necessarily the first scientists to use molecular gastronomy, physicist Nicholas Kurti and chemist Herve This were the first to name this culinary art form “molecular gastronomy” in 1992. Other common names for molecular gastronomy include culinary physics and experimental cuisine.[1][2]

Nicholas Kurti was known as the “physicist in the kitchen”. His main science was physics and taught at Oxford University in the UK. Kurti’s favorite hobby was cooking. Kurti especially enjoyed pushing the limits of the culinary art with science. Herve This is a French physical chemist whose main research involves molecular gastronomy.[1][2]

Marie-Antoine Carême was one the first well respected culinary masters and recipe writers in France during the 1700s. She recognized important chemical and physical properties of foods when cooking. In the earlier ages of molecular gastronomy, around the 1700s, the coagulation of proteins, optimal heating rates, absorption of flavors, and other cooking techniques were observed and studied. Texture and flavor are directly affected by these different techniques. In modern times genetic engineering has become a means to manipulate the way food looks and tastes. Genetic engineering is tangentially related to molecular gastronomy in that both techniques manipulate food in to affect appearance and taste.

Genetic engineering was first introduced by Gregor Mendel in the 1900s. Mendel's experiments with crossbreeding pea plant is now iconic and a classic example of genetic engineering by crossbreeding. More advanced genetic engineering involves genetic manipulation in a lab setting rather than naturally by crossbreeding plants. A tobacco plant in Belgium was the first genetically modified food to have antibiotic resistance in 1983. The first commercially available genetically modified organism was a tomato in 1994. In following year of 1995, a series of other genetically modified crops were created by the company Monsanto and were approved by the FDA for marketing. Early GMOs were mostly engineered to be insect resistant and virus resistant. Today, GMOs are also engineered to be more aesthetically pleasing and tasty.

Cooking Techniques

Basic spherification involves the creation of a thin membrane around a gelatinous liquid recipe. Sodium alginate is the main ingredient that gives the gelatinous properties to a liquid. When the globular thick liquid has been dipped into the sodium alginate solution, it is then transferred to a calcium bath. The calcium bath cures the membrane creating a thicker, tougher gelatinous membrane around the globular paste recipe. Sodium alginate is a tasteless thickener and an emulsifier often used in food industry which is derived from certain brown algae. Sodium alginate is known for reducing appetite and is a common diet ingredient. [3]

Molecular Gastronomy Pesto Noodles
Molecular Gastronomy Pesto Noodles

Reverse spherification is similar to basic spherification. A liquid food is frozen into spherical molds then placed into a sodium alginate bath and transferred to a calcium bath creating a gelatinous membrane about the frozen sphere. The membrane forms about the frozen sphere before it is able to melt. The result is a water balloon-like product that can be seasoned a variety of different ways and even colored with food coloring. [4]

Various shaped gelatinous containing pockets can be created using molds. Noodles, raviolis, and any other shapes can be created out of various soups or other liquid recipes using sodium alginate and calcium. Molecular gastronomy kits are sold for making various shaped gelatinous membranes about foods. Molds hold food into a specific shapes, such as a ravioli, and are placed in a sodium alginate bath, transferred to a calcium bath, and allowed to cure. The result is similar to a ravioli made of pasta however instead of pasta, a clear membrane forms composed of sodium alginate.

Esterification using soy lecithin is another molecular gastronomy technique. Soy lecithin can be added to any juice and rapidly mixed to produce a thick foam. Flavored foams can be used as a topping on deserts for example. Similar to sodium alginate, no heat is required for this process.

Other techniques include the use of dry ice, tapioca maltodextrin, and ascorbic acid. Dry ice can be placed recipes to spread the aroma of the food. Some alcoholic beverages have dry ice added for visual effects although this has proven dangerous due to the occurrence of accidental burns. Tapioca maltodextrin and salt are used to transform high-fat liquids into powders. For example olive oil, caramel, or even Nutella can be turned into a powder by this method but will melt back into oily substance if water comes in contact with the powder. Ascorbic acid is used in bakeries to prevent apples from oxidizing on pies and such.More simple examples of molecular gastronomy are alcoholic drinks which can be separated into colorful layers based on the density of various alcohols in a drink. [5][6][4]

Examples of foods made by molecular gastronomy techniques:
Liquid Pea Ravioli
Liquid Pea Ravioli

Sweet Proteins

Brazzein sweet protein crystal structure
Brazzein sweet protein crystal structure
  • Brazzein

Brazzein is a protein that resides on the extracellular matrix of fruit cells and was first discovered in 1989 in West Africa. Benefits of brazzein include heat resistance, low caloric content, pH stability, solubility in water, and the similarity in profile to sucrose. [7][8]

  • Curculin

Curculin protein is found in Malaysia in the plant Lumbah (Curculigo latifolia). Curculin is similar to miraculin in that is causes sour foods to taste sweet however curculin is sweet alone unlike miraculin. In comparison to sugar, curculin is approximately 2,000 times sweeter on a weight basis. Curculin is not a good candidate for an alternative baking sweetener due to its degradation above 50°C. [8]

  • Mabinlin

Mabinlin is a protein was discovered in the Mabinlang seed (Capparis masaikai) in China. On a weight basis Mabinlin is only 10 times sweeter than sucrose however mabinlin protein has many advantages such as high heat stability due to disulfide bridges and solubility. [8]

  • Miraculin

Miraculin is found in Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) in West Africa. Miraculin is not sweet alone but when exposed to sour foods that have a low pH, the glycoprotein will cause the sour foods to taste sweet. In acidic conditions miraculin undergoes a shape change activating sweet receptors. This effect does not occur in basic conditions with bitter foods. Miraculin is heat sensitive and pH sensitive. This makes miraculin a difficult protein to cook and bake with. [8]

  • Monellin

Monellin is a sweet tasting protein first discovered in West Africa in the 1960s. The protein originates from the Serendipity Berry (Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii). Monellin is a relatively large molecule and is especially sensitive to chemical modification. At high pH levels monellin looses its sweetness however is able to retain sweetness at a pH level as low as 2. [9][8]

  • Thaumatin

Thaumatin is a sweet tasting protein and was discovered in 1989 in Africa. Thaumatin is found in Katemfe Fruit. Benefits of thaumatin include stability in acidic conditions, heat stability, and solubility. Unlike sugar, thaumatin is approximately 2,000 times a sweet as sugar according to weight. The sweetness of this protein lasts much longer than sugar and tastes like licorice. [8][7]

  • Petadin

Petadin is a sweet tasting protein derived from (Pentadiplandra brazzeana) found in Africa. Petadin is about 500 times the sweetness of sugar on a weight basis. [7][8]

Molecular Gastronomy by Genetic Engineering




OSGATA vs. Monsanto




Genetically Modified Tomato by Monsanto
Genetically Modified Tomato by Monsanto

iGEM Projects

Harvard iGEM





A BioBrick compatible strategy for genetic modification of plants. [15][16]














  7. , H. va. der, Larson, G., Hladik, A., Hladik, C. M., Hellekant, G., & Glaser, D. (1989). Isolation and characterization of pentadin, the sweet principle of Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon. Chemical Senses, 14(1), 75–79. doi:10.1093/chemse/14.1.75


  8. , H., & Loeve, K. (1972). Isolation and Characterization of Thaumatin I and II, the Sweet-Tasting Proteins from Thaumatococcus daniellii Benth. European Journal of Biochemistry, 31(2), 221–225. doi:10.1111/j.1432-1033.1972.tb02522.x


  9. , I. (2000). Recent developments in the characterization and biotechnological production of sweet-tasting proteins. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 53(2), 145–151. doi:10.1007/s002530050001


  10. , M., & Ariyoshi, Y. (1998). Chemical synthesis and characterization of the sweet protein mabinlin II. Biopolymers, 46(4), 215–23. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0282(19981005)46:4<215::AID-BIP3>3.0.CO;2-S




















  20. , S., & Kurihara, Y. (1988). Complete purification and characterization of the taste-modifying protein, miraculin, from miracle fruit. J. Biol. Chem., 263(23), 11536–11539. Retrieved from




  22. , National Centre for Biotechnology Education, 2006. Case Study: Chymosin


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