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Fusion cuisine is a general concept used in gastronomy to indicate both the mixture of culinary styles from different cultures and the mixture of representative ingredients from other countries, a mixture of condiments and/or spices, culinary practices, etc.  The fusion of cuisines is carried out in various ways, in some cases it can be motivated by the creativity of a community of cooks.

Its birth is attributed to the United States due to the great mix of different cultures and ethnic groups that make it up and that gave rise to it: each one of its people, of those different ethnic groups trying to recreate the gastronomy of their native country with local ingredients, very different times.  Likewise, in several American countries, it is common to find fusion cuisine restaurants that mix elements of the local indigenous gastronomy with dishes from their traditional Creole cuisine.

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High kitchen or haute cuisine arises in French cuisine and is mainly characterized by the elegance in the final presentations and the use of high quality food. It is a style of cooking that is characterized by a high refinement in its preparations, by the use of quality food products and by the professionalism of the cooks, and it is currently practiced above all in the large hotels and restaurants of the Western world. It is characterized by the use of products of extreme quality, by the most careful and artistic presentations, by the most complex and refined elaborations.

Now, to prepare haute cuisine dishes, we need to know some of the techniques to, from there, develop our creativity. You should know that you can make a wide variety of recipes in different ways, prioritizing the ingredients. Some of the most used are:

· Spherification: it is the most recent. It consists of going from liquid to solid to give a different texture to the dish. If you want to know more, in our article on molecular cocktails we tell you what it consists of.

· Liquid Nitrogen: This is a way to quickly freeze food on the plate. The boiling point is -196º and it is highly recommended for making ice cream and sorbets.

· Foams: as their name suggests, they are creams or purees mixed with gelatin. In this way, a light texture is achieved that you can mix with countless products to achieve a combination.

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What is molecular gastronomy?

Molecular gastronomy (or m/gastro) is a cooking technique with foundations in chemistry that combines modern science and traditional food preparation. It can also be seen as a field of study that encompasses the culinary arts, cooking, and sometimes wine or drinks. It's a collaborative effort between chefs, scientists, and culinary arts students. It is the process in which chefs increasingly want to understand the science behind food and have chosen to integrate it into their cooking.

A brief history of molecular gastronomy

The term molecular gastronomy has been used since the 1980s. It began to strongly gain traction in Western kitchens-especially among chefs-in 2006. It became well-known due to its success on popular cooking shows such as The French Chef hosted by Julia Child's successor, Jacques Pépin. In the 1990s, it had been most closely associated with the "fusion cooking" of such noted chefs like Heston Blumenthal, Ferran Adrià, and Martin Boudin.

Molecular gastronomy is different from many other styles of cooking in that it is a science-based discipline with its own methodology and nomenclature. In addition to more traditional ingredients such as meat, fish, or vegetables, molecular gastronomy also utilizes many modernist ingredients often created through food processing to achieve desired results. These include gels (e.g., alginate), foams (e.g., air), emulsions (e.g., vinaigrette), and colloids (e.g., sous-vide).

Molecular gastronomy seeks to answer the question, "How do we make food taste better - and more interesting?" In its emphasis on using science, molecular gastronomy can be seen as a move away from simply following recipes. In fact, many chefs use molecular gastronomy in conjunction with classic techniques to achieve unique results. For example, while the bread is traditionally baked in an oven or stone-hearth oven and then shaped into loaves or rolls, molecular gastronomy chefs are experimenting with bread made via dough-shaping techniques that include extrusion and ribbon-shaping.

What is it about m/gastro that has attracted the interest of chefs, scientists, and culinary arts students?

How does one go about doing m/gastro?

It involves two steps:

1) understanding chemistry;

2) learning how to cook;

As a science-based discipline, molecular gastronomy emphasizes experimentation with ingredients over simply following recipes. As a result, the scientific method is utilized in the discovery and creation of new recipes.

What are some of the m/gastro tools?

Gelatin powder (plant or microbial) in cheese, desserts, mousses like panna cotta or Bavarian creams like "Floating Islands" which are food combining of proteins and sweets; agar, call casein coagulants; hydrocolloids like pectins, xanthan gum, locust bean gum (thickening); lipids like Butter-oil and olive oil-based emulsions for sauces.

Foams such as soufflés are made with egg whites with air incorporated to aerate them. Air and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) are cooked in liquid nitrogen to create foam.

Emulsions like mayonnaise, vinaigrette mixes, and emulsified sauces are typically made with egg yolks, thickeners such as flour or cornstarch, or gelatin.

Colloids like liquid sugar cooked sous-vide, chocolate mixed with cocoa butter to create a creamy semi-solid; liquid nitrogen that freezes then macerates or cuts fruit or protein to create contrasting textures in the mouth.

What is the scientific foundation of m/gastro?

The "science behind the food" would be chemistry. For example, cooking meat at different temperatures produces different results (i.e. steak, cooked rare, medium and well done); drinking wine at different temperatures changes the flavor of the wine (e.g., white versus red); and- cooking kale softens its stem while keeping its green leaves crisp. All of these examples relate to chemistry.

Specifically, m/gastro is based on the scientific principles relating to cooking and food handling in order to produce particular results in food. This includes, for example: how heat is transferred; how water (another form of matter) interacts with food; or how a chemical reaction takes place as it pertains to cooking foods (good examples being Maillard browning reactions, caramelization reactions). M/gastro also utilizes water chemistry (including evaporation) to control and influence the taste of food.

What is the relationship between m/gastro and molecular gastronomy?

"Molecular Gastronomy" (also sometimes called "molecular cooking") is an extension of molecular science. It has been embraced by chefs, sommeliers, and winemakers. It has led to a new field that draws upon both chemical principles in chemistry and culinary arts.

The term "molecular gastronomy," which is often used interchangeably with molecular gastronomy, was coined by Beatrice Alemagna in 1983. In her book, "Molecular Gastronomy: From the Science of Soft Matter to the Science of Food", Alemagna established the following definition to describe m/gastro:

The concept of m/gastro imitates the scientific method. First, a scientist creates a hypothesis when examining and experimenting with food molecules. Second, he or she conducts an experiment testing that hypothesis against control or "normal" condition. Then, it is time for the analysis of data. Finally, the scientist publishes the results and concludes with what has been discovered as well as its possible practical use. In this way, m/gastro is based on thorough experimentation and exploration to gain knowledge and understanding about food.

How does the science of m/gastro relate to the culinary arts?

Whereas molecular gastronomy is based on scientific principles, chefs studying m/gastro have a dual focus: advanced techniques in the kitchen as well as what they might do with that knowledge once they learn it.

What are some examples of culinary techniques inspired by the science of m/gastro?

One good example is a technique showcased in season 9 of Iron Chef called "sous vide." Sous-vide cooking refer to cooking food in vacuum-sealable bags that are then refrigerated. This is done to obtain a perfect pastry texture and moist interior while the exterior remains crispy. Another example is using a coagulant to make cheese, such as agar to create a cheese dessert.

Molecular gastronomy aims to focus on the science of food and the way cooking can be an artistic process. It is used to describe a set of cooking techniques that have been used by many restaurants. These restaurants have succeeded in combining traditional cooking methods with modern technology. Molecular gastronomy is practiced in professional kitchens around the world, but it is also gaining popularity amongst hobby chefs and at-home cooks. It works with the scientific method, using recipes as hypotheses, testing them against control or "normal" condition. It also works by analyzing data and concluding by what has been discovered as well as its possible practical use.

Critics of molecular gastronomy

Some critics disapprove of molecular gastronomy because they believe it is overly technical and relies too heavily on specialized equipment.

Molecular gastronomy seeks to explore the science behind food. It does so through the aid of modern technology, such as in cooking sous-vide, freezing liquids in liquid nitrogen, and making foams from steam. These are all techniques that have been used by restaurants that have incorporated them into their cuisine. Other molecular gastronomy techniques include cooling foods with dry ice, mixing substances like sugar with fat to make a creamy semi-solid, and using a coagulant to make cheese.

The molecular gastronomy techniques are typically found in restaurants that are specialized in molecular cuisine. There are also home chefs who use certain molecular gastronomy techniques to improve their recipes. A good example is a chef who makes a recipe for ice cream using liquid nitrogen.

Molecular gastronomy is not widely accepted by food critics, but popularity in the culinary world has been growing since 2000. The term "molecular gastronomy" was coined by Beatrice Alemagna in 1983. The term "molecular cooking", on the other hand, was coined by Ferran Adrià in 2001 when he served his famous paella dish "El Bulli".

Appraisers of molecular gastronomy

Molecular gastronomy has become a part of the culinary lexicon in many parts of the world, especially in Europe. It is practiced by professional chefs who use molecular techniques to create dishes that are difficult to achieve using traditional cooking methods. Molecular gastronomy also became popular among hobby cooks and home chefs. Chemical reactions that occur during cooking can be used to make new products or change existing ones. This can make cooking fun for many people.

Molecular gastronomy is a specialized branch of chemistry and food science. It has been embraced by the culinary arts community in order to explore the science behind food and cook with it. Molecular cooking was perfected by such noted chefs as Adrià and Andoni Luis Aduriz in Spain, Denis Martin in Switzerland, Ettore Bocchia in Italy, Alex Atala in Brazil, René Redzepi in Denmark, Sang-Hoon Degeimbre in Belgium, Heston Blumenthal in the United Kingdom, and, much later, Thierry Marx in France.

Molecular Gastronomy in US and Netherlands

In the United States, Fritz Blank, a former clinical microbiologist, opened the Philadelphia restaurant Deux Cheminées (closed 2007). At his restaurant wd~50 (closed 2014) in New York City, Wylie Dufresne invented such singular creations as deep-fried mayonnaise and noodles made with protein (such as shrimp) instead of flour. In Chicago chefs, Homaru Cantu at Moto and Grant Achatz at Alinea devised such innovations as edible ink and paper and dishes nestled on aromatic pillows, respectively. Even chefs who did not specialize in molecular cooking introduced into their menus spherification (liquids that create their own spherical "skin" through gelling agents), culinary foams (popularized by Adrià), and flash-frozen popcorn balls, among other concoctions.

In the Netherlands, Rutger Bregman wrote a book called "Utopia for Realists", which was intended to be a manifesto against the European economic and social model. While he did not mention molecular gastronomy directly, Bregman criticized what he considered to be superficial and excessive technical innovation in gastronomy.

Molecular Gastronomy Techniques

Emulsification

Emulsification is a process used to make foods with a creamy texture. It involves mixing two liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable).

Examples of emulsions are mayonnaise and vinaigrette, based on oil and vinegar, as well as hollandaise sauce, which is based on butter and lemon juice. An emulsion can also refer to the creation of foams made from steam or air.

Gelling

Gelling is the process of making liquids solid.

Sous-vide (French for under vacuum) uses the technique of "gaseous suspension of particles". The device used to cook sous-vide is called a "sous-vide machine" or "water oven" because it cooks food in circulating water heated and held at a constant temperature. The bags are then sealed airtight with an airtight sealer and immersed into the hot water.

By using sous-vide, chefs can control the temperature of the food in a precise manner. This means that cooking time can be reduced while maintaining the quality and safety of the food. The sous-vide cooking process makes it possible to achieve doneness without burning or over-cooking. It is also very easy to control the doneness of the food by adjusting the temperature. The most common way to cook sous-vide is to vacuum bag and heat the water in a temperature-controlled water bath or sous vide water bath.

Examples of sous-vide are foie gras and sushi.

Spherification

Spherification is a technique that produces spherical shapes out of liquids or solid foods.

In this process, food is treated with an emulsifier. The resulting gel has the appearance of a pearl, enabling it to be folded into a sphere. This form can be formed in various ways, but generally involves placing the liquid instead of the food into a membrane filter, followed by filling the membrane with water.

Examples of spherification are caviar and ice cream.

Hydrocolloid-based gels

These are designed to improve the texture of food, by "locking" the water and the protein molecules to create a greater interfacial contact, resulting in a reduction in water loss or leaching and a thickening effect. They are typically used to suspend particles or other solids such as fruits.

Some gels have been developed for use in emulsions. For example, gellan gum is used to achieve the texture of hand-made Japanese soba noodles and French tapioca.

Culinary foams

Also known as "air foams", culinary foams occur in various forms. The most common type of culinary foam is the whipped cream foam made from egg whites or egg yolks, although other types of foams can be achieved by other methods. Foam can also be used in the preparation of "sous-vide" (see above) food.

Examples of culinary foams are soufflés and mousse.

Liquid Crystalline Emulsion (LCE) is a type of emulsion that exhibits liquid crystalline phases due to the presence of a liquid crystalline substance. The liquid crystalline phases present in LCEs are thermodynamically stable, but they can be destabilized by thermal, mechanical, or chemical treatment.

A common example is chocolate milk.

Egg yolk emulsion

Egg yolk emulsion is a mixture of egg yolk and vinegar, is also known as "caviar" due to its resemblance to the jewels of the same name. This culinary technique was first created by Julia Child in her 1973 book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".

Electroeggs

These are egg-white foams that are produced by whipping egg whites (or sometimes whole eggs) with a drop of vinegar.

Steric stabilization

Steric stabilization is a technique that uses food energy to create a gel from the creation of a mesh structure.

Examples of steric stabilization are frozen foams and yogurt. In yogurt, milk solids form complexes with the whey proteins to form gels that serve as a medium by which bacteria can grow.

Sol-gel

Sol-gel is a production process where metal solutions are used to form gels. The sol-gel technique is often used in the creation of polymers but can be utilized to make other materials as well.

Examples of sol-gel are paper and silver filigree.

Deconstruction

This is a technique in which food is broken down, or deconstructed, into its elemental parts. Recreating the original components from scratch can be challenging, and requires a full understanding of the structure of the food that is being deconstructed. Deconstruction has been used in creating molecular gastronomy creations such as foams and emulsions.

Examples of deconstruction are sushi and Shiro shouyu (literally "white soy sauce").

Is molecular gastronomy safe?

Yes, molecular gastronomy is generally considered safe, especially when experimental food creations are consumed in moderation. It further depends on the ingredients used. For example, naturally occurring emulsifiers and hydrocolloids (thickeners), like gelatin or agar, are safe to consume. On the other hand, cheaper emulsifiers, like soy lecithin, have potential side effects like bloating and nausea. Additional concerns involve the use of certain additives and other ingredients, like liquid nitrogen fumes, xanthan gums, and calcium salts.

However, each dish only uses a small number of chemicals, and individuals only consume these dishes once in a while. Therefore, there is limited exposure to potentially unsafe ingredients and an unlikelihood that long-term side effects will occur.

What is a molecular gastronomy kit?

A molecular gastronomy kit is a group of ingredients or tools that work together to allow the creation of dishes in molecular gastronomy. Some kits are more complex than others, with different kits featuring varying levels of difficulty. Options include pre-made kits, which are often sold by restaurants and food manufacturers, and do-it-yourself (DIY) kits, which must be synthesized by the individual.

What are some of the most famous dishes made with molecular gastronomy?

A molecular gastronomy dish is a dish that utilizes the ingredients to create new textures and flavors in the actual food.

Ampicillin lasagne

Ampicillin lasagne, composed of pasta sheets, aqueous lactic acid, and whole ampicillin in water, was described in "Chemistry and Industry" magazine in 1957. It was created by Peter Baranowski, who received a patent for his invention for $80 in 1959. Lasagna incorporates "microscopic holes" into the top layer of pasta to entrap the compound.

Bamforth's lasagna

In the late 1980s, chemist Charles Bamforth created a development of "Bamforth's lasagna," which was used to create a coulis made of tomato puree and nitrous acid. The dish was named after Bamforth and was described in "Flavour" magazine in 1988. The dish uses an activated carbon cap on top of the mixture to absorb the taste of nitrous acid from the tomato coulis. This allows for an antacid effect as well as an improved texture for the food.

Bacon-Sheetrock® cheeseburger

Another famous dish made with molecular gastronomy is the bacon-Sheetrock® cheeseburger. It was created by Ferran Adrià as a part of his molecular gastronomy tasting menu in 2003. The dish is composed of a regular cheeseburger composed of a bun, meat, and cheese, but with the addition of Sheetrock® cheese (a foam made from skim milk and casein), which is served alongside the burger. The foam has a crispy texture due to the casein separating from the whey protein when it was heated above 85 °F (29 °C).

Ultimate Achievement

In 2000, the renowned molecular gastronomy chef Heston Blumenthal created a dish called "Ultimate Achievement" at his restaurant The Fat Duck. It involved a series of pills and capsules that were dropped into a plastic bowl of water. The pill-and-water mixture then heated up to the point of boiling in order to create vapor bubbles, which resulted in a foamy soup. Another dish Blumenthal created in 2001 used liquid nitrogen to create spherification, the formation of a sphere in liquid as it cools. The technique is called "air tightening" and allows for a new texture and consistency in the food, as well as a way to preserve it.

Meat Fruit

Another famous molecular gastronomy dish by Blumenthal, "Meat Fruit", involves dehydrating foie gras. The creation is meant to look like an under-ripe pomegranate with flesh resembling dark red meat. The best part of the creation is the interior, which is composed of foie gras.

Sound of the Sea

The most well-known dish by Blumenthal is called "Sound of the Sea," which was also introduced in 2001. The dish was made to be eaten with headphones and involves a series of sounds that represent ocean waves-like crashing water and birds chirping-that are synchronized with the movements on a plate.

Concluding thoughts

In the past, molecular gastronomy was thought of as a dangerous trend. However, there is currently no health warning on most of its ingredients. To date, there have been no documented cases of reported adverse effects from the consumption of molecular gastronomy dishes. However, personal experimentation should be done at one's own risk. Due to the current lack of data and understanding, molecular gastronomy is still considered a relatively new culinary technique. However, it has been around since the classical era.

We hope to have answered most of your questions regarding molecular gastronomy. However, if you have any more questions, feel free to contact us!

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Molecular Gastronomy: Everything You Need To Know in 2021

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Molecular gastronomy (or m/gastro) is a cooking technique with foundations in chemistry that combines modern science and traditional food preparation. It can also be seen as a field of study that encompasses the culinary arts, cooking, and sometimes wine or drinks. It's a collaborative effort between chefs, scientists, and culinary arts students.

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They are a fundamental part of their tradition, their uses and their customs that give them unity as a cultural group. Thus, one can speak of classic Moroccan cuisine, classic Colombian cuisine or any other region of the world. Although many of them may share ingredients, techniques, utensils, cooking methods and other elements, there will always be features that distinguish them from other cuisines. Some time ago, this concept was limited to the set of culinary techniques and preparations originating in France that was considered fundamental that every cook should know and master. Such thinking was based on the idea that only classic cuisine "par excellence" and the only one was French.

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A chef or restaurant can be identified by their signature food. In a perfect world, it would be distinct and allow a knowledgeable foodie to identify the chef from a blind taste. It may be compared to an artist discovering their own style or an author discovering their own voice in terms of cuisine. In reality, a chef may claim more than one trademark dish, or their signature dish may vary over time.

A trademark dish may become connected with a specific restaurant in a less positive way, especially if the chef who made it no longer works there. It can also be used to describe a certain culinary area, in which case the term can be translated as "national dish." Restaurants frequently base the creation of their menus on tastes and fashions that are particular to the area in which the restaurant is located. By adopting regional sensibilities, local products such as food, restaurant design, and even the sort of building you pick may all result in a higher yield. Promoting (an establishment's) links to its surroundings offers excellent marketing opportunities

The term can simply mean "chef's specials" which are in no way unique or even particularly unusual.

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Cardiff Wales writter, Gaz Oakley, also known as the Avant-Garde Vegan, is a vegan chef and cookbook author. He was referred to as "a celebrity of the meat-free world", whose "recipes have won the appreciation of vegetarians and carnivores alike."
He es a perfect example of signature cuisine.
Gaz worked out for a couple of years whilst eating this colossal diet & put on a lot of weight. However, he didn't feel too good. He put it down to the high amounts of animal protein he was eating & starting looking into veganism.