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Food Science

Cooking isn't just an art; it's a science. We'll help you understand the physical and chemical processes that make food look, smell, and taste the way it does.
A pile of cubed butter
The Best Way to Soften Butter
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Brining Beans With Baking Soda: An Investigation
A close up of aquafaba meringue frosting
The Science Behind Vegan Meringues
Mint-yogurt marinade being poured over boneless skinless chicken thighs
The Science of Yogurt Marinades
A seared rare steak cut in half on a wooden board
An Introduction to the Maillard Reaction: The Science of Browning, Aroma, and Flavor
close up of ap flour sourdough starter on day 11
The Science of Sourdough Starters
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Flavor Science: How We Taste Sweet, Sour, Salty, and More
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The Truth About Mustard Oil: Behind the "For External Use Only" Label
Close-up of a hamburger
What Is American Cheese, Anyway?
Flip Frequently
What's a Smoke Point and Why Does it Matter?
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What a Pressure Cooker Does Best
Close up of the face of an analog kitchen scale that reads 13 pounds, 10 ounces.
Cocktail Science: Do Alcohol Calories Count?
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How to Make Tadka
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The Science Behind Salt and Vinegar Chips
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Meet Isoamyl Acetate, the Banana-Flavored Molecule You Love to Hate
Illustration of a man with a prominent but blacked out nose inhaling aroma rising up from a variety of foods
Smell Loss and Its Impact on Enjoying Food
pressure-cooker
How Pressure Cookers Actually Work
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know (Plus More!) About Boiling Water | The Food Lab
The Case for Room-Temperature Foods
MSG crystals
Is MSG Actually Bad for You?
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Behind the Phenomenon That Makes Your Wine Smell Like Farts
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Cookie Science: The Importance of Scraping Your Bowl
emulsions
The Food Lab Video Series: Emulsions
boiling-water
The Food Lab Video Series: Boiling Water
A small spoon holding baking soda with a container of baking soda next to it.
How Baking Soda Works
Cooked, curled pepperoni with tiny pools of fat on the surface of a pizza.
Why Does Pepperoni Curl? | The Food Lab
Asparagus sautéing
Why Asparagus Makes Pee Smell
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Meet Warmed-Over Flavor, the Phenomenon That Turns Leftovers Funky
A tray of assorted Jell-O shots.
The Science of Jello Shots
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Does Mixing Oil and Butter Really Alter the Smoke Point?
Brie and Nutella Grilled Cheese
The Science of Melting Cheese
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Cocktail Science: All About Foams
How the Science of Salt Can Improve Your Tomatoes
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Revisiting the Myth of The 12-Year Old McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot (Testing Results!) | The Food Lab
The Science of Lactic Acid Fermentation: Pickles, Kraut, Kimchi, and More
A Bloody Mary cocktail in a tall glass garnished with a celery stick and some shrimp on a toothpick.
The Bloody Mary: The History and Science of an Oddball Classic
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Cream Science: On Whipping, Butter, and Beyond
Simple Syrup
Cocktail Science: Simpler Simple Syrup
A jar of preserved tomatoes being lifted from a pot of hot water
How to Can Tomatoes
a cocktail being poured over a large ice cube in a rocks glass
Science! This is Why Hot Water Can Freeze Faster Than Cold Water
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Diacetyl: The Molecule Responsible for Butter Flavor and Popcorn Lung
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Cocktail Science: All About Carbonation
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Here's Why McDonald's Burgers Don't Rot | The Food Lab
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Serious Cheese: Know Your Microbes
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Cocktail Science: 5 Myths About Ice, Debunked
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Sotolon: The Molecule That Smells Like Pancakes, Fall, and a NYC Mystery
pizza
Is Good Pizza Really All About the Water? | The Food Lab
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The Science of Heat vs. Temperature
A package of Fleishmann's active dry yeast.
Can Yeast Really Keep You From Getting Drunk?
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The Pizza Lab: Sausages And the Science of Salt
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Why Does Absinthe Get Cloudy?
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Cocktail Science: 8 Tips and Tricks For Getting the Most Out of Citrus
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The Serious Eats Guide to Sugar
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Why Nacho Cheese Doritos Taste Like Heaven
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What's the Point of a Vinaigrette? | The Food Lab
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Mocktail Science: Easy Substitutes for Complexity
What's the Deal With Natural and Artificial Flavors?
On Browning Ground Meat In Recipes | Ask The Food Lab
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What Makes a Great Mocktail?
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What Happens When You Add Olive Oil to a Cocktail?
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Homebrew Troubleshooting: Identifying Off-Aromas
Does Seasoning in Stages Make a Difference?