Explore the science behind everyday foods and how chemistry explains texture, taste, and safety. This edition connects kitchen observations to lab methods, helping you understand why jelly gels, how plant fibers behave, and what tests reveal in dairy, sugar, and canned goods.
Drawing on clear experiments and practical explanations, the book covers topics from pectin’s role in jelly making to the structure of proteins, the behavior of sugars, and common methods for detecting food adulterants. It highlights the real-world relevance of food chemistry for cooks, students, and curious readers alike.
- How pectin, water, sugar, and acid influence jelly formation and texture
- What cellulose and plant fibers are, and how they behave in different solutions
- Protein types, their solubility, coagulation, and common lab tests
- Disaccharides like cane sugar, maltose, and lactose, plus simple inversion and fermentation concepts
- Practical lab approaches for testing sugars, fats, starch, gelatin, and common adulterants
Ideal for readers seeking practical insights into kitchen chemistry and food science in everyday life.