Science and Cooking returns with tasty offerings

Next week, the popular Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series kicks off its 14th year at Harvard University. The series pairs Harvard professors with celebrated food experts and renowned chefs to showcase the science behind different culinary techniques.

This year’s Science and Cooking series will explore topics ranging from mold-based fermentation to phase transitions in mixology, zero-waste cooking in the Galapagos, Brazilian cuisine, the thermodynamics of BBQ, the science of sugar and more. 

Each presentation will begin with a 15-minute lecture from a Harvard faculty member about a related scientific topic. The lectures are free and open to the public.

New presenters this year include Jason Doo, Chef and Owner of Wusong Road Tiki bar in Cambridge; Rich Shih, co-author of Koji Alchemy; Luciana Bianchi, director of the Galapagos Foundation and Founder of MUYU, the first farm, forest and sea-to-table restaurant in the Galapagos Islands; Alex Atala, chef and owner of the D.O.M. restaurant in São Paulo; and Mauro Colagreco, chef and owner of the restaurant Mirazur in France.

Returning presenters include Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking and Nose Dive, Dave Arnold, host of the podcast Cooking Issues, chef Joanne Chang of Flour and Myers & Chang, and pitmaster Bryan Furman.

Science and Cooking is organized by the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and is based on the Harvard course “Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science”.

The full schedule can be found on the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series website.