Molecular Gastronomy: Is It Changing The Way We Eat?

I'm no foodie (like, at all), but I'm constantly intrigued by the methods of cooking while watching shows like Top Chef that feature innovative challenges that push chefs to experiment. And I admit, I'm naive when it comes to the whole study of molecular gastronomy, but that doesn't stop me from researching it a bit. Molecular gastronomy, in particular, is something that caught my eye right away. Between Wylie Defresne, José Andrés, Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal, Pierre Gagnaire and more, chefs have been studying it for a long time. Only in the last few years has it become "trendy" thanks to television. "Despite having a huge impact on other aspects of our lives, scientific advances have done little to change our cooking habits," says French physical chemist Hervé This (who, along with Nicholas Kurti coined the term "molecular gastronomy"). So these new methods of cooking aren't really affecting the culinary world or the way we eat? This also says that it's very different from just cooking (which is often the assumption) -- it's "the chemistry and physics behind the preparation of any dish" and that there's a "difference between the science of ingredients and the science of culinary processes." Many people confuse molecular gastronomy as a type of cooking, when in fact, it's the study of how and why things happen while you're cooking. "Consequently, molecular gastronomy not only uses science to explore the technical aspect of cooking but also the ‘art’ and ‘love’ components, both of which are important for the main aim of cooking: to delight guests," he adds. While promoting his Syfy show Marcel's Quantum Kitchen last year, I caught up with famed molecular gastronomist (and former Top Chef contestant) Marcel Vigneron about his love for the science. After watching him get mocked several times for trying out new techniques and using "too much foam," I was curious to find out how and why he chose to go beyond his normal culinary education. Here's what he had to say: About getting into molecular gastronomy: "When I was in culinary school, I was just researching all different types of cuisine, looking at chefs all around the world and what they were doing. At the same time, I was in school and getting a basic understanding of a the foundation of cooking, studying new cuisine and researching all these guys. I heard about this restaurant in Spain called ElBulli that was revolutionizing cooking and doing all these crazy things. So I got one of their cookbooks and I basically was in infatuated with what they were doing out there. I started to actually do a lot of research and development, and a lot of experimentation on my own in my apartment when I was in New York. I actually called up the restaurant and they sent me out sample kits of various tools. I was like, "Man, I gotta figure this out." So, it was like an infatuation. And the first time I ever laid eyes on an El Bulli cookbook, that kind of changed my gastronomic past ever since." About how it can somtimes be trial-and-error creating dishes with new methods: When you're doing these things for the first time, yeah. I mean, cause I haven't gone there and worked for Ferran [Adriá] and I haven't gone and worked with some of these chefs who helped pan these new techniques. And we're actually panning some of the techniques on our own. You hear of a technique somewhere or kind of brainstorm off an idea, and all of a sudden your creating new techniques and new dishes. So it's like you don't really know if they're going to work until you actually try it out. And then if it doesn't work, you have to think about it scientifically and what's going on. And if you understand what it is that you're doing, logically you should be able to fix it in case there's a mistake. Or at least try to figure out why it's not working. So that's what we like to do. You learn about science and apply that knowledge to cooking, that way it makes us a little bit better at it and understand why we're messing up so much. Will the common, barely-can-cook folks like me ever really understand or appreciate molecular gastronomy? Probably not. But it seems to be an often-underappreciated field of study that continues to push boundaries. And hey, maybe one day it will definely change the way we eat.