Flavor
Brown Butter Science: Maillard Reaction in a Saucepan
What happens when you brown butter? Milk proteins and lactose react in the Maillard reaction, creating pyrazines and furanones. Here's the full chemistry.
BeginnerCaramelization vs Maillard: They're Not the Same Thing
Caramelization and the Maillard reaction both brown food, but they work completely differently. Learn the science and use both to cook better
BeginnerDoes Searing Seal In Juices? The Science Behind the Myth
Searing does not seal in juices. Find out what searing actually does to meat, why the Maillard reaction matters, and why searing is still worth doing.
BeginnerEverything Salt Does in Food: The Complete Chemistry
Salt has six distinct functions in food chemistry: flavor enhancement, bitterness suppression, osmosis, protein interaction, gluten strengthening, and fermentation control. Here's how each works.
BeginnerFermentation: How Microbes Transform Your Food
Fermentation is how microbes convert carbohydrates into acids, alcohol, and CO2, transforming ordinary ingredients into complex, flavorful foods. Here's how it works
BeginnerHow Dry Aging Works: Enzymes, Moisture Loss, and the Flavor Science
Dry aging beef involves enzymatic breakdown of muscle fibers, controlled moisture evaporation, and surface mold that concentrates flavor over 21 to 120 days. Here's the science.
IntermediateHow Taste Actually Works: The Five Tastes, Smell, and Flavor
Taste and flavor are not the same thing. Learn how taste receptors work, why smell drives most of what we call flavor, and what happens when you have a cold.
BeginnerLemon Nutrition: Small Fruit, Useful Acid Chemistry, and Real Limits
Lemons are not a cure-all, but they are a practical source of vitamin C and citric acid that can improve flavor, iron absorption context, and food use patterns.
BeginnerMSG: The Science Behind the Most Misunderstood Seasoning
MSG is safe for the vast majority of people. Here's what the research actually shows and why the MSG scare was never grounded in science.
BeginnerNatural Flavors: What the FDA Definition Actually Means
What are natural flavors in food? The FDA definition, why 'natural strawberry flavor' may contain no strawberries, and what the trade secret issue means
BeginnerNatural vs Artificial Flavors: What's the Real Difference?
Natural vs artificial flavors: the FDA regulatory definition, what 'natural' actually means chemically, and whether artificial flavors are less safe
BeginnerThe Science of Coffee Extraction: Grind, Temperature, and Yield
How coffee compounds extract in sequence, what extraction yield means, why grind size and water temperature matter, and how to fix under- or over-extracted coffee.
IntermediateThe Science of Salt: Why It Makes Everything Taste Better
Salt doesn't just add saltiness. It suppresses bitterness, enhances sweetness, and changes the texture of meat. Here's the science behind why salt improves almost everything
BeginnerVanillin vs Real Vanilla: Why They Taste Different and What's Worth Paying For
Is vanillin the same as vanilla? The chemistry of vanilla's 250+ compounds, when the price difference matters, and why 'natural vanilla flavor' may not mean vanilla beans
BeginnerWhat Is Umami? The Science of the Fifth Taste
What is umami taste and how does it work? Glutamate receptors, synergy with IMP and GMP nucleotides, and natural sources of the fifth taste explained.
IntermediateWhat Makes Tea Different: Catechins, Tannins, and the Chemistry of Steeping
Why green, black, and oolong teas taste so different, what tannins and catechins are, how oxidation changes tea chemistry, and why oversteeping turns tea bitter.
IntermediateWhy Onions Make You Cry (And How to Stop It)
The chemistry behind onion tears: the enzyme reaction that makes a tear gas when you cut an onion, and which kitchen tricks actually reduce it.
Beginner