Spherification

What is molecular gastronomy?

Molecular gastronomy - ?

What is molecular gastronomy?

Molecular gastronomy -

“is a subdiscipline of food science that seeks to investigate the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur in cooking”

One technique: Spherification

Sodium alginate mixed with fruit juiceWater bath with

Calcium Chloride

A chemical reaction occurs forming a flexible shell around the outside of the drop creating a sphere

Chemical reaction?

What is the difference between a sodium ion and the element sodium (Na) ?

Sodium forms Na+

Calcium forms Ca2+

Chemical Reaction

Sodium Alginate

Polysaccharide - consists of a repeating unit “monosaccharide”

What happens when we add this to calcium chloride?Hint: What is the difference between Ca2+ ions and Na+ ions

Chemical Reaction

Ca2+ replaces Na+ in the Alginate molecules

Today: Spherification Challenge

Each group will be given a molecular gastronomy kit to experiment with spherification of fruit juice

Factors that will control the shape of the sphere are height of dropping, and angle.

The time that the spheres are in the calcium chloride bath will change how “squishy” they are.