Science in the kitchen
Read Science in the kitchen and check the IELTS Reading answers. There is a recent movement in the world of food, in which chefs are collaborating with scientists to teach themselves the chemistry and physics of cuisine. Even academics are getting excited about the results. Colin Osborne of the Roy…
Passage preview
There is a recent movement in the world of food, in which chefs are collaborating with scientists to teach themselves the chemistry and physics of cuisine. Even academics are getting excited about the results. Colin Osborne of the Royal Society of Chemistry in London is enthusiastic: “Chefs are using unusual methods to produce exciting dishes that would be impossible without modern science,” he says. You may wonder what’s wrong with long established culinary traditions. The fact is, many culturally ingrained cooking methods are less than perfect. Osborne gives the example of the common belief that frying meat seals in moisture, while researchers who weighed the meat actually found that moisture is lost in the process. Another example is the age old technique of adding salt when boiling vegetables to raise the water’s boiling point, thus cooking the vegetables faster. In fact, the amount of salt typically added does not raise the temperature significantly – or improve the flavour, since only a minuscule amount is absorbed.
Vocabulary from this passage
9 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- collaborate verb
To work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something
Engineers and architects often collaborate to ensure buildings are both functional and aesthetic.
- compartmentalise verb
To divide into sections or categories; to separate into distinct parts
It is often necessary to compartmentalise emotions to maintain professional objectivity.
- empirically adverb
By means of observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic
The hypothesis must be tested empirically before it can be accepted as scientific fact.
- ingrained adjective
Deeply established and difficult to change (of habits, beliefs, or attitudes)
The prejudice was so ingrained in the culture that it took generations to overcome.
- minuscule adjective
Extremely small; tiny or insignificant in amount
Even a minuscule error in the calculation can lead to a catastrophic structural failure.
- peer review noun
Evaluation of scientific, academic, or professional work by others working in the same field
The study was rejected because it failed the rigorous peer review process required by the journal.
- permeate verb
To spread throughout something; to pervade or penetrate every part
The smell of spices began to permeate the entire building during the cooking festival.
- phenomena noun
Facts or situations that are observed to exist or happen, especially those whose cause is in question
Astronomers study cosmic phenomena to understand the origins of the universe.
- proprietor noun
The owner of a business, or a holder of property
The proprietor of the gallery was known for discovering avant-garde artists.
Answers with explanations
- 27. NO
The statement claims scientists and chefs have a **long established** history of working together. The text contradicts this by calling it a **recent movement**. Collaboration is described as a new phenomenon, not a long historical one. Answer: NO.
- 28. NO
The statement claims traditional cooking is **supported** by modern science. The text explicitly states that **culturally ingrained** (traditional) methods are **less than perfect** and proceeds to give examples where science **disproves** them (like sealing in moisture). Answer: NO.
- 29. YES
The statement claims the food at The Fat Duck is **unconventional**. The text supports this by describing the dishes as **unexpected** and listing unusual items like **nitro scrambled egg** and **bacon ice cream**, which are clearly not conventional dishes. Answer: YES.
- 30. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims El Bulli is the **most popular** restaurant of its kind in Spain. While the text calls it a **leading restaurant** and notes it is **booked out**, it does not strictly compare it to all others to declare it the 'most popular'. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 31. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims McGee plans to **open his own restaurant**. The text mentions his **influential book** and quotes his views on science and cooking, but provides **no information** about him planning to open a restaurant. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 32. C
The text states that Hervé This spends his time **disproving culinary old wives' tales** and empirically testing **traditional beliefs** (like the order of adding vinaigrette). This matches the option about showing that **long held beliefs** are **wrong**. Answer: C.
- 33. A
Barham contrasts recipes with scientific papers. He notes that papers are **subject to peer review** where **experts pore over experiments**. This supports the option that scientific papers are **checked by more people** (peers/experts) compared to cookery books which are 'poorly written'. Answer: A.
- 34. B
Kurti uses the comparison between stars and a **soufflé** to show a 'sad reflection' on our knowledge. He is highlighting that we know distant physics better than kitchen physics, thereby highlighting the **inadequacy of scientific research into cooking**. Answer: B.
- 35. C
Rachel Edwards Stuart studies materials like **gels** that **solidify on heating** and **melt** when cooled. This describes **how food changes form** (solid/liquid) under **certain conditions** (heating/cooling). Answer: C.
- 36. E
Colin Osborne states that chefs are producing dishes that would be **impossible without modern science**. This matches the ending that says science has **helped cooks make meals that would otherwise be unachievable** (impossible). Answer: E.
- 37. C
Hervé This contrasts the **massive changes** in chemistry with cooking methods that **remained largely as they were**. This matches the ending that **cooking has failed to keep pace** with scientific developments. Answer: C.
- 38. G
The text states that Kurti and This **devised the expression 'molecular gastronomy'**. This matches the ending stating there is **new terminology** to describe the study of culinary reactions. Answer: G.
- 39. A
Harold McGee says that previously, science and cooking were **neatly compartmentalised** (separated). This matches the ending that **there used to be a clear division** between cooking and science. Answer: A.
- 40. D
Stuart mentions a concept coming from a **children's book** (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) by Roald Dahl. This matches the ending about an **imaginary invention** (Willy Wonka's gum) inspiring research. Answer: D.